PRIME MINISTER

Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi

Gordon Banks: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with (a) the First Minister of Scotland and (b) other Ministers in the Scottish Government on the possible return to the UK of Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi since 1 February 2011.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 25.

Departmental Lost Property

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Prime Minister what property has been (a) lost and (b) stolen from 10 Downing street in the last 12 months; and what the cost of replacement was.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), on 5 September 2011 Official Report, column 261W.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Air Travel

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on what occasions he has flown on official business (a) by budget airline and (b) in economy class in the last 12 months.

Nicholas Clegg: I refer the hon. Member to the details of my overseas travel which is published quarterly on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
	I travel using the most efficient and cost effective arrangements.
	My travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel as set out in the Ministerial Code.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Procurement

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what methodology (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible used to estimate savings to the public purse made in respect of its procurement and purchasing since May 2010.

Owen Paterson: Following the completion of devolution of policing and justice functions on 12 April 2010, the Northern Ireland Office became a much smaller Department with limited requirements to procure and purchase in our own right. Where there is a need to procure/purchase, this is arranged through the Department of Finance and Personnel/Ministry of Justice. Where appropriate, the NIO will adopt the methodology laid out in the Efficiency and Reform Group's new efficiency regime.

SCOTLAND

Air Force

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the campaign groups opposed to the closure of (a) RAF Lossiemouth and (b) RAF Leuchars.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Michael Moore), last met with the Chairman of the Leuchars Task Force on Monday 27 June and representatives of the Moray Task Force on Thursday 30 June, to discuss their final concerns ahead of the Basing Review announcement in July. As implementation of the proposals gets under way, discussions with local communities will continue to ensure smooth transition.

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many senior civil servants in (a) his Department and (b) the office of the Advocate-General at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements (i) his Department and (ii) the office of the Advocate-General had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised each in each such year.

David Mundell: No senior civil servants worked for any of the companies named immediately prior to taking up appointment in either the Scotland Office or the Office of the Advocate-General. No consultancy agreements have been made with these firms in this period.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

David Mundell: During June 2011 my Department received 10 letters from hon. Members.

Departmental Procurement

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what methodology his Department used to estimate savings to the public purse made in respect of its procurement and purchasing since May 2010.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not generally undertake direct procurement or tendering projects. It utilises framework contracts between suppliers and other Government bodies. All expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money.

Departmental Work Experience

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) persons undertaking unpaid work experience, (b) unpaid interns and (c) other persons in unpaid positions were working in his Department as of 1 July 2011.

David Mundell: Since 1 July 2011 the Scotland Office has had one unpaid intern. This was arranged as part of the Whitehall Internship Programme. There were no other persons undertaking unpaid work experience or other persons in unpaid positions working in the Department in this period.

Fuel Poverty

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on levels of fuel poverty in Scotland.

Michael Moore: I am in regular contact with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on a range of issues, including those relevant to fuel poverty.

Fuel Poverty

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met (a) Scottish Ministers and (b) representatives from the main energy suppliers in Scotland to discuss fuel poverty in Scotland; and what the outcome of those discussions was.

Michael Moore: Following the announcements earlier this summer from the main energy suppliers of their intention to increase domestic gas and electricity prices, I met officials from the electricity and gas markets' independent regulator, Ofgem, to raise my concerns about the impact this may have on households in Scotland.
	I am in regular contact with Scottish Ministers and representatives from the main energy suppliers in Scotland on energy issues, including those relevant to fuel poverty.

Green Investment Bank

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the possible location of the Green Investment Bank in Edinburgh.

Michael Moore: I regularly meet with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to discuss a wide range of issues, including the Green Investment Bank. I also meet regularly with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whose Department is leading on the establishment of the Green Investment Bank.
	In all relevant discussions, we have discussed Edinburgh's case to host the Bank.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Females

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and (b) Scottish ministers regarding (i) the July 2011 Labour Market Statistics and (ii) trends in the number of female claimants of jobseeker's allowance.

Michael Moore: I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the number of people in Scotland claiming jobseeker’s allowance and trends in labour market statistics. When I met the Cabinet Secretary for Employment, Finance and Sustainable Growth in July we discussed youth unemployment in Scotland.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Football: Females

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2011, Official Report, column 291W, on football: females, what specific actions the Football Association is taking to ensure that girls in Hull do not lose out;
	(2)  what the criteria were which the Football Association used in carrying out its review of girls' talent development.

Hugh Robertson: I am assured that the Football Association (FA) has in place adequate provision provided for girls' football in Hull and other parts of the country. Their website provides further details of the advice and help on offer:
	http://www.thefa.com/GetIntoFootball/Players/PlayersPages/WomensAndGirls/FAGirlsCentresOfExcellence
	I would encourage you to contact the FA directly to update you on this situation.
	The criteria used to select the Football Association's Girls Centres are a matter entirely for the governing body.

Libraries

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has considered the merits of establishing a national digital library service.

Edward Vaizey: We have no plans at present to establish a national digital library service. However, local authorities continue to provide remote access for their users to catalogues, e-books and online reference resources and the UK remains a partner in Europeana—the European Digital Library network which provides access, through its website, to objects from cultural institutions within the European Union.

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme: Repairs and Maintenance

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what proportion of value added tax on eligible repair and maintenance works he expects to be repaid to religious groups who have put in an application under the new rules of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme in September 2011.

John Penrose: The new rules for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme 2011-12 were announced in March 2011. Under the new scheme, the available budget will be divided into quarterly budgets and then shared pro-rata between all claims received. Obviously we hope that the budget will cover the full rate of VAT for all claimants but, if it doesn't, an apportionment will be made and this will be announced on the Listed Places of Worship website. The first payments in this financial year are due to be made at the end of the second quarter.
	By returning to the pre-2006 scope of the scheme we estimate that the available budget should be sufficient to pay all claims in full but, given the high volatility of claims in the past, it's impossible to predict with certainty at this stage. I will not be in a position to confirm whether claims can be paid in full until all claims for the first quarter of the year have been submitted and processed. The rate of payment will be published on the Listed Places of Worship website once this process is complete.

Neil Wallis

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what communications (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c) officials in his private office and (d) (i) press officers, (ii) other officials and (iii) special advisers of his Department have had by (A) e-mail, (B) meeting, (C) telephone call and (D) letter with Neil Wallis since his appointment; and on what dates.

Jeremy Hunt: The Department does not keep a central record of all staff communications and a definitive answer could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

News Corporation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what communications (a) he, (b) other Ministers in his Department, (c) officials in his private office and (d) (i) press officers, (ii) other officials and (iii) special advisers of his Department have had by (A) e-mail, (B) meeting, (C) telephone call and (D) letter with (1) Rebekah Brooks, (2) Rupert Murdoch, (3) James Murdoch, (4) Les Hinton, (5) other representatives of News International or News Corporation, (6) Ed Llewellyn, (7) Andy Coulson and (8) John Yates since 21 December 2010; and on what dates.

Jeremy Hunt: A list of my meetings and with media organisations has been published on the DCMS website, and can be found using the following link:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2011/07/26/sos-meetings-with-proprietors-editors-and-senior-media-executives-11may1-15jul11
	Information about ministerial, special advisors and the Permanent Secretary's meetings with outside interest groups is published quarterly on the Department's transparency website. Details can found using the following link:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2011/07/
	Records of meetings, telephone calls held between officials and press officers with outside parties and records of telephone calls and email exchanges between officials and Ministers and outside parties are not recorded centrally and would incur a disproportionate cost to collect.
	All my letters regarding the merger have been published at:
	http://www.culture.gov.Uk/what_we_do/media_mergers/7880.aspx#1
	A search of the Department's centrally recorded database shows that James Murdoch sent three letters to me, during the period stated. There is no record of written correspondence between Ministers and the other individuals listed.
	A search for correspondence from, officials, press officers and special advisers to and from all the individuals listed would incur disproportionate cost to collect.

Radio Frequencies

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the mobile operators to reach agreement on the proposed auction of the 800MHz and 2,600MHz spectrum by mid 2012;
	(2)  whether he has had recent discussions with Ofcom on the use of statutory powers to direct Ofcom to proceed with an auction of the 800MHz and 2,600MHz spectrum in the event of a legal challenge to the regulator's auction proposals.

Edward Vaizey: Ofcom were directed to take a number of actions relating to spectrum in December 2010, including carrying out a combined auction of 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum as soon as possible. Ofcom consulted recently on auction design but has yet to take any final decisions on how they will proceed. Consequently I have had no discussions with Ofcom about a possible further direction in the event of a legal challenge to their proposals. The operators have expressed their concerns with the Ofcom proposals to me and I have stressed to them the Government's wish to see this auction take place as early as possible in 2012.

CABINET OFFICE

Key Data: Publication

Graham Evans: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the publication of key data relating to the NHS, school, courts and transport services on their performance.

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the publication of key data relating to the NHS, school, courts and transport services on their performance.

Francis Maude: Open data can be transformative for public services, practitioners and users. We have already seen this in the health context where death rates in coronary artery surgery, for example, have fallen as a result of public reporting of outcomes. We have committed to release a wealth of new data on other public services which we hope will increase accountability and performance.

Government Software Procurement

Bob Blackman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress his Department has made on the use of open standards when specifying ICT requirements in central Government software procurement.

Francis Maude: We published new policy on the Use of Open Standards when specifying ICT requirements in January 2011. That made open standards much more mandatory and makes it clear to departments that they should ensure they include open standards in their ICT procurement specifications.

Pension Reform

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent progress the Government has made on engagement with the unions on pension reform.

Francis Maude: The Government are meeting with the Trades Union Congress tomorrow as part of the ongoing talks on public sector pension reform, which were set up at the request of the unions.
	Public service pensions will remain among the very best, providing a guaranteed pension level for all employees. Today very few private sector employers still offer guaranteed pension levels.
	But people today are living much longer—the average 60 year old is living 10 years longer now than they did in the 70s.
	And we are asking employees to pay more towards the cost of their pension. This makes for a fairer balance between what employees pay and what other taxpayers have to pay.
	While scheme specific consultations on proposed year one pension contribution increases are already under way, there is still much to discuss with the unions centrally about wider, long-term pensions reform.

Government Data: Public Access

Mark Menzies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to ensure that the public can access data released by the Government.

Francis Maude: The Government are ensuring that:
	All published government data is linked to data.gov.uk, which provides an easy way for the public to find and download data.
	That data is clear and relevant; and that the public can compare standardised information on spending or services.
	That data is provided in a user friendly format, for example, the civil service organograms and street level crime mapping on police.uk.
	As a result the UK Government are leading the world on releasing Government data.

Admiralty Arch: Admiralty House

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Ministers have been allocated accommodation in (a) Admiralty Arch and (b) Admiralty House; how much his Department has spent on minor works, refurbishment, fittings and fixtures in relation to these residences since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: Admiralty Arch is not used as residential accommodation. The Secretary of State for Defence has the use of a flat in Admiralty House. The Cabinet Office has not incurred expenditure on minor works, refurbishment, fittings and fixtures in relation to the residences at Admiralty House since May 2010.

Cancer: Mortality Rates

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the national mortality rates for bladder cancer were in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the national mortality rates for bladder cancer were in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11. (070163)
	Table 1 attached provides the age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000, where bladder cancer was the underlying cause of death, in England and Wales, for the years 2009 and 2010 (the latest year available). Figures are also provided for England and Wales separately.
	Figures are provided for calendar years (January to December) to be consistent with routine mortality outputs.
	Responsibility for reporting mortality data for Scotland and Northern Ireland is held by the National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency respectively.
	
		
			 Table 1: Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, where bladder cancer was the underlying cause of death, England and Wales, England, and Wales, 2009 and 2010  (1,2,3,4) 
			 Rate per 100,000 population 
			 Country 2009 2010 
			 England and Wales 5 5 
			 England 5 5 
			 Wales 5 4 
			 (1) Age-standardised mortality rates per 100,000 population, standardised to the European Standard Population. Age-standardised rates are used to allow comparison between populations which may contain different proportions of people of different ages. (2) Cause of death for bladder cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C67. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. Figures for England and Wales separately exclude deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Charity Street Collectors

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the time taken to bring forward regulations to bring the actions of charity street collectors within the scope of enforcing authorities.

Nick Hurd: Responsibility for the regulations governing the licensing of charitable collections rests with the Cabinet Office. The Charities Act 2006 licensing provisions have not been implemented and will be considered as part of the review of the Charities Act 2006, due to begin later this year. Once the review has made its recommendations I will discuss them with ministerial colleagues. We want to make it easier for legitimate charities to fundraise responsibly, whilst deterring bogus collectors and preventing nuisance for members of the public. Local authorities, trading standards, and the police already have a range of powers to tackle bogus or unlicensed collections and nuisance.

Departmental Procurement

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has undertaken a comparative analysis of expenditure on procurement by Government Departments per pound procured.

Francis Maude: To support the Government's mandate to centralise the procurement of common goods and services, the Efficiency and Reform Group in the Cabinet Office undertook an analysis of procurement spend for the 2009-10 financial year. It reviewed spend for specific procurement categories across central Government departments, in order to determine if it could be centralised. We will continue to review spend by Departments in categories that are centralised, in order to ensure the optimum supply strategy is in place for central Government.

Government Departments: Billing

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 11 October 2010, Official Report, column 250W, on Government departments: billing, what progress has been made on the publication of departments' invoice payment performance records on a monthly basis in a single location.

Francis Maude: On 1 November 2010 the Government reiterated their policy of paying 80% of undisputed invoices within five days and ensuring that prime contractors paid tier two suppliers within 30 days through use of a contract condition. On 19 July I made further announcements to improve payment performance. These included a requirement for Departments to actively contract manage the performance of prime contractors, the Crown Representatives encouraging key suppliers to pay more quickly than in 30 days and encouraging suppliers to report issues of late payment to Cabinet Office's Mystery Shopper service. Departments are not required to publish payment data on a central repository, though some Departments choose to publish performance on departmental websites.

Graduates: Unemployment

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the number of unemployed graduates in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England and Wales.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimate has been made of the number of unemployed graduates in (a) Liverpool, Walton Constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England and Wales. (070503)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Whilst the APS does collect data on graduate unemployment, no reliable statistics can be produced for Liverpool, Walton constituency or Merseyside due to small sample sizes.
	The latest APS estimates available are for the period January to December 2010. Based on this survey, the number of unemployed people in England and Wales whose highest qualification was degree level or higher was 285,000.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Microsoft

Julian Huppert: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what information his Department holds on the amounts paid by Government departments to Microsoft in annual licence fees (a) in total and (b) via subcontractors in each of the last five years.

Francis Maude: Cabinet Office is unable to release data in relation to the cost of Microsoft's annual licence fees. These data are commercially sensitive and are covered by a non-disclosure agreement between Cabinet Office and the supplier.

National Insurance Contribution Holiday

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small businesses have been started in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency since the introduction of the National Insurance Contribution holiday.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many small businesses have been started in (a) England, (b) Kent and (c) Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency since the introduction of the National Insurance Contribution holiday.
	The requested information is not available. Annual statistics on the number of enterprise births are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	However, as the contribution holiday specified in the National Insurance Contributions Act 2011 relates only to new businesses set up from 22 June 2010 they are not covered by the latest statistics, which relate to business births in 2009. Statistics relating to births of enterprises in 2010 will be available in December 2011.

Pensioners

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many pensioners were resident (a) in Jarrow constituency, (b) in South Tyneside, (c) in the North East and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many pensioners were resident in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) in the North East and (d) nationwide in each year since 1997. (70419)
	The attached table shows the number of people of state retirement age resident in the specified areas for each year from mid-1997 to mid-2010. This is the latest year for which population estimates are available.
	
		
			 People of pensionable age for selected areas in United Kingdom mid-1997 to mid-2010  (1) 
			 Thousand 
			  United Kingdom North East South Tyneside Jarrow  (2) 
			 1997 10,673.2 481.3 31.6 (3)— 
			 1998 10,716.6 482.7 31.5 (3)— 
			 1999 10,745.1 483.7 31.4 (3)— 
			 2000 10,788.3 485.3 31.3 (3)— 
			 2001 10,845.2 487 31.4 (3)— 
			 2002 10,915.4 488.8 31.4 17.0 
			 2003 11,012 491.7 31.3 17.0 
			 2004 11,117.7 494.4 31.3 17.1 
			 2005 11,232 497.7 31.2 17.0 
			 2006 11,343.8 500.8 31.2 17.0 
			 2007 11,562.6 508.8 31.4 17.2 
			 2008 11,794.2 516.7 31.6 17.3 
			 2009 12,006.9 524.1 31.9 17.5 
			 2010 12,171.2 530.7 32 (3)— 
			 (1) Pensionable age for mid-1997 to mid-2009 is defined as 65 and over for men and 60 and over for women. For mid-2010 pensionable age is defined as 65 and over for men and 60 years 57 days and over for women. (2) Boundaries are those that came into effect at the May 2010 general election. (3) Data unavailable. Source: Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

Vacancies

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of job vacancies available in (a) England, (b) the west midlands and (c) Coventry local authority area in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of job vacancies available in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Coventry local authority area in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. (070345)
	Estimates of the number of vacancies for the UK are derived from the ONS Vacancy Survey. However, information on job vacancies below a UK level is only available from Jobcentre Plus. This data only includes job vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and consequently is inconsistent with the UK estimates from the Vacancy Survey. Currently Jobcentre Plus vacancies account for around half of the total number of vacancies as reported by the Vacancy Survey.
	In Table 1, we have provided the number of live unfilled Jobcentre Plus vacancies for each of the latest 12 months for which figures are available for Coventry, the West Midlands and England.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of live unfilled Jobcentre Plus vacancies. July 2010 to July 2011  (1) 
			 Date Coventry West midlands England 
			 2010    
			 July 2,524 34,463 248,642 
			 August 2,397 32,678 246,434 
			 September (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 October 3,271 39,908 286,526 
			 November 3,483 39,483 288,108 
			 December 2,774 32,751 238,265 
			     
			 2011    
			 January 2,651 26,897 202,861 
			 February 2,122 28,414 230,129 
			 March 2,122 29,334 214,061 
			 April 1,846 33,507 224,392 
			 May. 1,810 27,428 201,205 
			 June 1,891 30,536 226,460 
			 July 2,057 32,699 233,301 
			 (1) Data for September 2010 are not currently available. Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System

JUSTICE

Chief Coroner

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice from which organisations he has received representations in support of the abolition of the office of Chief Coroner under the provisions of the Public Bodies Bill.

Jonathan Djanogly: We have not received any representations from organisations in support of abolishing the office of Chief Coroner. The Government propose to retain the office in statute, and to transfer the majority of the functions to either the Lord Chief Justice or Lord Chancellor.

Civil Disorder

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many people have been charged as a result of the public disorder on (a) 6, (b) 7, (c) 8, (d) 9 and (e) 10 August 2011; and with what offences;
	(2)  how many people have been (a) granted bail, (b) remanded in custody, (c) cautioned, (d) given an absolute discharge and (e) given a conditional discharge as a result of the public disorder on (i) 6, (ii) 7, (iii) 8, (iv) 9 and (v) 10 August 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: We are currently publishing frequent updates on people being dealt with by the court system in relation to the disturbances on 6-9 August. These reports can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/ad-hoc/index.htm
	Charging data are not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice.
	As the publication notes the Chief Statistician will review the quality of data and release further breakdowns as reliable data become available. It is intended to release further data on 8 of September. A more detailed release will be published on 15 of September containing detailed information on age, gender, offence committed, sentence given, and previous criminal history.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the largest sum awarded by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to a victim of attack by a dog was in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how much was awarded by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to victims of attacks by dogs in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many awards were made by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to victims of attacks by dogs in each of the last five years for which figures are available;
	(4)  how many claims were made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority by victims of attacks by dogs in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) does not have reliable figures for this. Compensation for victims of violent crime is based on the injuries people sustain not the particular crimes of which they were a victim. The injuries for which CICA can compensate, and therefore provide reliable figures for, are set out in the Tariff of Injuries in the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2008, but the Tariff does not contain any injuries specific to dog attacks.
	It is worth noting that victims of animal attacks are not eligible to receive compensation from CICA unless it can be shown that their injuries resulted from a crime of violence, within the terms of the Scheme, on the part of the person controlling the animal.

Divorce Courts: Fees and Charges

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse of remission of court fees in divorce proceedings was in each of the last five financial years.

Jonathan Djanogly: HMCTS does not hold data centrally regarding the amount of income foregone to fee remission broken down by fee charge type for fee charges collected in the family county courts.
	Income foregone to remission is published (by business stream) in the HMCTS Resource Accounts. In 2010-11 income foregone to remission for family business was £16.6 million.

EU Justice and Home Affairs

Charles Kennedy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which third pillar EU measures for which his Department is responsible have not yet been implemented; by what date each such measure will be implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: There are between 80 to 90 Acts currently in force that were adopted before 1 December 2009 under the Police and Criminal Judicial Co-operation chapter (Title VI) of the Treaty on the European Union (third pillar measures). This list is subject to change as Acts that are repealed and replaced or amended by new instruments. Approximately 18 of these are the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice, the majority of which have been implemented.
	Article 10 of the Protocol on Transitional Provisions (Protocol 36) to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to the Treaty on European Union applies to these Acts, under which the UK has the right to opt out (en bloc) from all these measures in 2014 when they will become subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. The UK must decide whether or not to opt out by 31 May 2014. The Government are therefore considering the implementation of the remaining measures in light of the wider process for making that decision. In accordance with the written ministerial statement given by the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), on 20 January 2011,
	Official Report
	, columns 51-52WS, Parliament will be kept informed of developments.

Immigration Advisory Service

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  when his received notification of the entry into administration of the Immigration Advisory Service;
	(2)  when he was first made aware of the financial situation at the Immigration Advisory Service;
	(3)  how many people were in receipt of services from the Immigration Advisory Service at the time of its entry into administration;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of the entry into administration of the Immigration Advisory Service.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Ministry of Justice received notification of the Immigration Advisory Service’s (IAS) entry into administration on Friday 8 July.
	The Ministry was informed that the IAS’s financial position was such that the trustees were concerned about whether the organisation could continue to operate on Tuesday 28 June.
	The Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not record the number of people who receive legal aid, but instead records the number of ‘acts of assistance’. An act of assistance is each instance in which a provider opens a new matter to advise or assist a client. It is important to note that an individual may receive a number of separate acts of assistance and one act of assistance can help more than one person. As at 11 July 2011, there were 8,140 open acts of assistance identified from the IAS case management system.
	The LSC is working with the administrators to establish the value of claims for work that had not been submitted for payment when Immigration Asylum Service (IAS) entered administration. These claims will be offset against any sum that is confirmed as being owed to the LSC as a result of the Contract Compliance Audit, which has not yet concluded.

Knives: Young Offenders

Nick de Bois: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many individuals aged 18 or younger were prosecuted for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place in England and Wales in each year since 2006;
	(2)  how many individuals aged 18 or younger received custodial sentences for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place in England and Wales in each year since 2006.

Crispin Blunt: Persons aged 18 and under proceeded against at magistrates courts and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place in England and Wales, from 2006 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring 2012.
	
		
			 Persons aged 18 and under p  roceeded against at magistrates   courts and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place, England and Wales, 2006-10  (1,)  ()  (2,)  ()  (3) 
			 Statute Offence  Proceeded against Immediate custody 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1988, S.139 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place 2006 1,853 111 
			   2007 1,834 126 
			   (4)2008 1,826 163 
			   2009 1,957 181 
			   2010 1,613 130 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The figures presented here have been taken from the Ministry of Justices court proceedings database and are a record of the sentences passed in courts, they will differ from the figures presented in the figures published in the 'Knife Crime Sentencing--Quarterly brief which are drawn from the Police National Computer. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Latchmere House Prison

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to enable those who lose their jobs at HM Prison Latchmere House to access alternative vacancies.

Crispin Blunt: The closure of Latchmere House prison will result in the loss of 79 staff posts. All staff are being offered alternative employment at other prisons or young offender institutions within the Greater London region or elsewhere. Five staff who were eligible to do so have decided to leave the Prison Service and formally retire. In line with the Service's procedures for redeployment and prison closures, staff have been offered suitable alternative employment at a location within approximately 60 minutes travelling distance of their home. Any additional travelling costs incurred by the change of location are met by the Service for a limited period to ease the process of transition.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill on the ability of insolvency practitioners to recover money that funds activities including (a) carousel fraud, (b) terrorist activities and (c) alcohol fraud;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the provisions of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill on (a) HM Revenue and Customs, (b) small businesses and (c) the ability of insolvency practitioners to pursue recoveries from delinquent directors in insolvency litigation.

Jonathan Djanogly: As I stated in my answers of 15 June 2011, Official Report, column 835W, and 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 893W, my officials are in ongoing contact with HMRC and Insolvency Service officials, to discuss the impact of the reforms on insolvency proceedings.

Prison Accommodation

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the usable operational capacity of the prison estate was for (a) Prison Service establishment for adult offenders, (b) National Offender Management Service operated immigration removal centres, (c) young offender institutions and (d) secure children’s homes on 5 August 2011.

Crispin Blunt: Useable operational capacity is the sum of all establishments’ operational capacity, as set out in the following table, less 2,000 places. This is known as the operating margin and reflects the constraints imposed by the need to provide separate accommodation for different classes of prisoner i.e. by sex, age, security category, conviction status, single cell risk assessment and also due to geographical distribution.
	Useable operational capacity for the NOMS custodial estate on 5 August 2011 was 88,039. The operating margin is not broken down by prison or type of accommodation and therefore an answer cannot be provided based on usable operational capacity.
	Excluding the operating margin, the total operational capacity of the different segments of the NOMS custodial estate on 5 August 2011 is set out in the table. Where more than one type of accommodation is provided on the same site, the predominant function of the establishment has been used.
	
		
			 Type Operational capacity 
			 Adult Prison Accommodation (1)81,323 
			 Young Offender Institutions (1)7,836 
			 NOMS Operated IRCs (1)880 
			 (1) These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. 
		
	
	Of the 305 secure children’s homes licensed places, the YJB currently contracts 183 places, all of which were available on 5 August 2011. The YJB has an agreement with the Department for Education to spot purchase, where necessary, vacant welfare beds in addition to the YJB contracted number.

Prisoners: Sexual Offences

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners with convictions for sex offences have been released (a) from prisons on the Isle of Wight and (b) from category (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) C and (iv) D prisons in each of the last three years.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of prisoners serving determinate sentences for sex offences who were discharged from prison in 2008, 2009 and 2010 by type of discharging prison. Prisons are classified according to their predominant function. Security categories A, B, C, and D relate to categories of adult male prisoner and do not directly relate to individual establishments. So, for example, an establishment categorised as security category B may hold offenders of all categories up to, but not above, B. Female prisoners and young offenders are not categorised in this way. Cluster prisons have been shown separately because they hold a wide range of security categories and cannot be easily simplified as a single category of prison.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			 Offenders released from prison having served a determinate sentence for sex offences, by function of discharging prison, 2008-10 
			  2008 2009  (1) 2010 
			 High Security prisons holding sentenced and remand prisoners up to Category A 83 38 88 
			 Local and training prisons holding sentenced and remand prisoners up to Category B 715 353 655 
			 Training prisons holding sentenced prisoners up to Category C 1,263 594 1,426 
			 Open prisons taking Category D prisoners 33 6 26 
			 Female prisons 24 20 29 
			 YOIs 124 59 122 
			 Cluster prisons 84 25 72 
			 Of which:    
			 Isle of Wight(2) 34 9 37 
			 (1) Due to the roll-out of a new case management system (Prison-NOMIS) in May 2009, offence and sentence length data for the period 1 July 2009 and 31 December 2009 are not available. These release figures are therefore based on the period 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2009. (2) On 1 April 2009, three prisons (HMPs Albany, Camp Hill and Parkhurst) merged to become HMP Isle of Wight.

Prisons

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) prisoner population and (b) total usable operational capacity is in each prison in England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: Useable operational capacity is the sum of all establishments' operational capacity, as set out in the table provided, less 2,000 places. This is known as the operating margin and reflects the constraints imposed by the need to provide separate accommodation tor different classes of prisoner i.e. by sex, age, security category, conviction status, single cell risk assessment and also due to geographical distribution.
	The operating margin is not broken down by prison or by type of accommodation and therefore an answer cannot be provided based on usable operational capacity.
	Excluding the operating margin, the total operational capacity and population of each prison in the NOMS custodial estate on 26 August 2011 is set out in the table. This information is published monthly on the MOJ website via the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/prison-population-figures/index.htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of what size of prison population is required to enact Operation Safeguard.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 March 2011, Official  R eport, column 188W. Operation Safeguard is required when the size or distribution of the prison population is such that it can no longer be managed within the available capacity.
	Pressures in managing the population arise from a number of factors. These include the size of particular demographic sections of the prison population and capacity available to accommodate those segments, the geographic distribution of population between regions and NOMS ability to transfer prisoners to maximise the use of space, and whether there are any sudden local increases in population or losses of accommodation.
	Our position remains that as the total population approaches within approximately 1% of the prison estate’s useable operational capacity, the risk of potentially requiring police cells under Operation Safeguard increases and more rigorous assessment of population pressures are required.

Sentencing

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been (a) cautioned, (b) given an absolute discharge and (c) given a conditional discharge for each offence with a minimum custodial sentence of (i) five years, (ii) between 12 months and four years and (iii) under 12 months in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The offences that carry mandatory minimum custodial sentences within the scope of the question are as follows.
	Minimum custodial sentence of five years
	The only offence in this category is possession of a prohibited firearm by an adult. Table 1 shows the number of offenders cautioned and sentenced (including absolute discharges and conditional discharges) at all courts, by result, for possession of a prohibited firearm in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010 (latest available).
	Minimum custodial sentence between 12 months and four years
	There are two offences in this category: possession of a prohibited firearm by a 16-17 year old, and a third domestic burglary. For both of these offences the mandatory minimum is three years. Table 1 includes details of cautions, absolute discharges and conditional discharges for the first of these offences. Table 2 shows the number of third time domestic burglary offenders, by type of sentence in England and Wales from 2006 to 2010 (including absolute discharges and conditional discharges). Cautions data are not available for third time domestic burglary offences.
	Minimum custodial sentences under 12 months
	No offences carry a mandatory minimum custodial sentence under 12 months.
	Relevant legislation provides that the mandatory minimum sentence is not required to be imposed where the court finds that it would be unjust to do so.
	Cautions and court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring, 2012.
	
		
			 Table 1: Offenders cautioned and sentenced at all courts for firearms offences  (1)   liable for mandatory minimum custodial sentence as prescribed by the Criminal Justice Act 2003  (2)   England and Wales 2006-10  (5, 6) 
			   2006 2007 2008  (7) 2009 2010 
			 16-17 year olds (mandatory minimum—at least 3 years(3)) Cautioned(9) 11 15 7 2 2 
			  Total sentenced 15 15 20 19 18 
			  Immediate custody 8 5 17 18 17 
			  Absolute discharge — — — — — 
			  Conditional discharge — 2 — — — 
			  Other sentences(8) 7 8 3 1 1 
			        
			 18 years and above (mandatory minimum—at least 5 years(4)) Cautioned(9) 197 146 115 75 45 
			  Total sentenced 265 249 340 360 308 
			  Immediate custody 202 202 288 298 250 
			  Absolute discharge — — — 1 — 
			  Conditional discharge 4 6 4 4 5 
		
	
	
		
			  Other sentences(8) 59 41 48 57 53 
			 (1) Offences under Firearms Act 1968 of: Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition, or Possessing or distributing firearm disguised as other object. (2) The mandatory minimum sentence is only applicable for offences that occurred on or after 26 January 2004. (3) Mandatory minimum for persons aged 16 or 17 at time of offence and for offences taking place after 26 January 2004 is 3 years. Not all of those in this age bracket would have been eligible for the mandatory minimum as they may have been under 16 at the time of the offence; it is the age at the point of sentence that is recorded on the court proceedings database (4) Mandatory minimum for persons aged over 18 at time of offence and for offences taking place after 26 January 2004 is 5 years. Not all of those in this age bracket would have been eligible for the mandatory minimum as they may have been under 18 at the time of the offence; it is the age at the point of sentence that is recorded on courts proceedings database. (5) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (6) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (7) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (8) Includes Fines, Community Sentences, Suspended Sentences and other sentences. (9) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of third time domestic burglary offenders  (1, 2, 3, 4)   by gender and type of sentence received, England and Wales, 2006-10 
			 All offenders 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Absolute discharge — 1 — — — 
			 Conditional discharge 3 2 6 4 5 
			 Fine 1 2 1 — — 
			 Community sentences 34 38 38 34 52 
			 Fully suspended 23 36 51 38 37 
			 Immediate custody 434 500 620 692 778 
			 Other 3 14 22 21 29 
			       
			 All offenders 498 593 738 789 901 
			 (1) Aged 18 and over at the time of the third offence. (2) Excluding one male offender who was recorded as sentenced to life imprisonment by a magistrates court. (3) If an offender was convicted of three or more domestic burglary offences on separate occasions under the age of 18, the first subsequent conviction for domestic burglary at the age of 18 or over has been counted. (4) Legislation for third domestic burglary was introduced in 2000. The detail can be found in Power of Criminal Court (Sentencing) Act S111: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/

Wormwood Scrubs: BBC

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1212W, on Wormwood Scrubs prison, whether HMP Wormwood Scrubs has received payment from Mentron.

Crispin Blunt: Wormwood Scrubs prison received the payment of £2,000 from Mentorn production company on 17 August 2011, in relation to facilitating the Question Time programme for the BBC.

Young Offender Institutions

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the (a) offender population and (b) total operational capacity is of each young offender institution in England and Wales.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the population and operational capacity of establishments whose predominant function was a male Young Offender Institution (including those YOIs where places are commissioned exclusively by the Youth Justice Board) in the NOMS custodial estate on the 26 August 2011.
	
		
			 Predominant Function YOI Population Operational Capacity 
			 Ashfield 367 383 
			 Aylesbury 437 444 
			 Brinsford 563 577 
			 Cookham Wood 115 143 
			 Deerbolt 491 513 
			 Feltham 722 762 
			 Glen Parva 778 808 
			 Hindley 378 440 
			 Isis 485 622 
			 Lancaster Farms 431 530 
			 Northallerton 194 252 
			 Portland 491 505 
			 Reading 244 293 
			 Rochester 617 664 
			 Thorn Cross 299 322 
			 Warren Hill 124 128 
			 Werrington 134 160 
			 Wetherby 382 407 
			 Total 7,252 7,953 
		
	
	This information is published monthly on the MOJ website via the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-and-data/prisons-and-probation/prison-population-figures/index.htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as
	with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Youth Justice Board

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will withdraw the proposal in the Public Bodies Bill to abolish the Youth Justice Board.

Crispin Blunt: The Government believe that youth justice, which can in some cases involve the detention of children, is an issue for which Ministers—not an arm's length body—should be directly accountable.
	The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), set out his plans for the future national governance of youth justice in his written ministerial statement of 23 June 2011, Official Report, columns 27-28WS. It remains our intention to abolish the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and to deliver its key functions from within a newly created Youth Justice Division in the Ministry of Justice. We have tabled a government amendment to the Public Bodies Bill seeking to reintroduce the YJB into schedule one to the Bill. The YJB will therefore be included in the list of bodies which may be abolished by order.
	In July 2011, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) launched a public consultation on the proposals for reform of the majority of MOJ bodies in the Bill to ensure that as many interested parties as possible could contribute views. The consultation closes on 11 October and the views expressed will be carefully considered before any draft orders are made.

TREASURY

Arch Cru Fund

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the policy of his Department is on compensation for investors in the Arch Cru fund.
	(2)  what the policy of his Department is on the establishment of an inquiry into the supervisory arrangements by the Financial Services Authority of the Arch Cru fund;
	(3)  what meetings he has had with representatives of Arch Cru fund investors.

Mark Hoban: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is responsible for the regulation of financial services firms and operates independently from Government under the powers given to it in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. HM Treasury sets the legal framework for the regulation of financial services, but does not have investigative or prosecuting powers of its own.
	In relation to Arch Cru funds, Capita Financial Managers Limited (CFM) announced that “The FSA will, in due course, be publishing a statement of its findings in relation to CFM's role regarding the Arch Cru funds”. The FSA is continuing to look at the issues surrounding the Arch Cru funds, and it would not be appropriate to comment before this work is completed.
	The Treasury has received representations on this issue from a range of stakeholders, but it is not the Government's practice to disclose details of all such representations.

Banks: Regulation

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the division of banking regulation powers between the Bank of England and his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government has completed two consultations on its plans to reform the UK's system of financial services regulation. Written responses are available on the Treasury's website. In June we published a third consultation document and White paper. Including draft legislation. The consultation closes on 8 September 2011 and can be found on the Treasury's website:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consult_finreg_blueprint.htm

Departmental Mobile Phones

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many mobile telephones and Blackberrys were provided to staff in his Department between (a) November 1999 and June 2001, (b) May 2002 and June 2007 and (c) June 2007 and January 2008; and what the total cost to the public purse was of (i) line rental, (i) insurance and (iii) purchase of such telecommunications' equipment.

Justine Greening: Information on portable computers, Blackberry and other mobile phone devices, made available for the use of individuals prior to the creation of a shared IT service for HM Treasury and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in April 2007 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The number of handsets provided in the years 2007 and 2008 are broken
	down as follows:
	
		
			 Year Mobile telephones Blackberrys 
			 2007 25 60 
			 2008 91 203 
		
	
	It is not possible to determine the number of handsets between specific months within the year.
	The Treasury does not record the costs of acquiring or using Blackberry devices (being all-in-one mobile phones, email devices, web browsers and organisers) or similar devices separately from other telecommunications costs, so the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) date, (b) location, (c) number of attendees and (d) cost to the public purse was for each (i) away day and (ii) team building activity organised for staff in his Department between (A) November 1999 and June 2001, (b) May 2002 and June 2007 and (C) June 2007 and January 2008.

Justine Greening: The Treasury collects information on the overall cost of away days and team building events but does not hold a central record of the information requested, which could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

European Commission's Solvency II

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has received advice from the (a) Bank of England and (b) Financial Services Authority on the effect on annuity prices of the European Commission's Solvency II proposals; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The impact of Solvency II on annuity prices cannot be determined until the final shape of the consolidated package of level 2 Implementing Measures is clear. Negotiations on this package are still ongoing. Through the course of negotiations, HM Treasury officials continue to work closely with officials from the Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England.

European Commission's Solvency II

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the report from the Bank of International Settlements on the potential effects of Solvency II proposals on insurance company investment in UK business or sterling corporate bonds.

Mark Hoban: Solvency II will require insurers to assess the risks they are exposed to on both the liability,-and the asset, side of the balance sheet, and hold capital commensurate to the underlying risks. A wide range of international organisations have commented on the effects Solvency II could have on the investment patterns of the European insurance industry, including on investment in UK business or sterling corporate bonds. However, the impact cannot be determined until the final shape of the consolidated package of level 2 Implementing Measures is clear. This package is currently under negotiation. The Government gives appropriate and proportionate weight to the views of such organisations when formulating its overall negotiating position.

European Commission's Solvency II

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has made to the European Commission on the Solvency II proposal to treat Eurozone sovereign debt as a minimal risk for the purposes of calculating an insurance company's capital requirements.

Mark Hoban: Solvency II will require insurers to assess the risks they are exposed to on both the liability, and the asset, side of the balance sheet, and hold capital commensurate to the underlying risks. The treatment of different types of asset - including sovereign debt - under the Standard Formula will be determined by the final consolidated package of Level 2 implementing measures, which is currently under negotiation. The UK has made clear to the Commission that the Standard Formula needs to be calibrated on the basis of ensuring that capital requirements for firms using the Standard Formula are sufficient to withstand a 1 in 200 year adverse event, as set out in the Solvency II Directive.

European Commission's Solvency II

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has made an assessment of the relative effects of (a) European Commission proposals for the Solvency II methodology on the capital requirements on insurance companies and (b) the Basel III proposals on the capital requirements of banks with an equivalent level of assets; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Basel III and Solvency II both aim to ensure sufficient regulatory capital is held by banks and insurers.
	Basel 111 aims to improve the banking sector's ability to absorb shocks arising from financial and economic stress by increasing the quality and quantity of capital that banks hold, and introducing internationally agreed liquidity requirements and a leverage ratio to act as a backstop to its risk weighted capital requirements.
	Solvency II aims to increase the protection of policyholders by ensuring that, regulatory capital is calibrated to risks to which insurers are exposed. However, the effects of Solvency II on the capital requirements of insurance companies cannot be determined until the final shape of the Level 2 implementing measures is clear.
	As banking and insurance involve different risks, and are exposed to different liabilities, direct comparison of capital requirements for banks and insurers holding an equivalent level of assets would not provide useful conclusions.

Finanical Services

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what means the Governor of the Bank of England will be accountable as Chairman of the (a) Financial Policy Committee, (b) Monetary Policy Committee and (c) Prudential Regulation Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: As Chairman of the Financial Policy Committee, the Governor of the Bank of England will be accountable to the Bank's Court of Directors; the Chancellor, through bi-annual statutory meetings; Parliament, through Treasury Select Committee hearings; and the general public, through public announcements and publications.
	As Chairman of the Monetary Policy Committee (and in future, as Chairman of the Prudential Regulation Authority), the Governor is accountable to Parliament and the general public, through the mechanisms described above.

Government Procurement Card

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Government Procurement Cards were used by staff of his Department between (a) November 1999 and June 2001, (b) May 2002 and June 2007 and (c) June 2007 and January 2008; and what the (i) name of the supplier, (ii) date and (iii) value was of each transaction during this period.

Justine Greening: Information on the number of Government Procurement Cards held by staff and details of the transactions for the periods specified could only be provided at disproportionate cost due to the introduction in August 2007 of a new accounting system for monitoring GPC usage.

Taxation: Nuclear Power

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered introducing a windfall tax on nuclear operators for the purposes of mitigating the effect of his proposed carbon price floor support.

Justine Greening: The Government has been clear that the carbon price floor does not represent a subsidy to any particular sector, including the nuclear industry. The Coalition Agreement stated that there would be no public subsidy, for new nuclear power stations and this continues to be the Government's position.

US Community Reinvestment Act

David Ward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider bringing forward legislative proposals with provisions comparable to the US Community Reinvestment Act.

Mark Hoban: The Government has undertaken a range of measures to ensure that financial institutions lend to all sections of society, and will continue to ensure that the financial sector supports growth in the wider UK economy.
	On 9 February the Chancellor announced a new commitment by the UK's biggest high street banks on lending expectations and capacity. As part of this commitment, the banks intend to lend £190 billion of new credit to businesses in 2011, up from £179 billion in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more. £76 billion of this lending will be to SMEs. This is a 15 per cent increase on 2010 lending of £66 billion.
	As part of this agreement, the banks also agreed to provide £200 million to the Big Society Capital group. This is in addition to the £400 million of capitalisation from English dormant bank accounts. The group will act as a social investment wholesaler and play an important ' role in accelerating the growth of the social investment market in the UK.
	Furthermore, on Tuesday 19 July the draft Legislative Reform (Industrial and Provident Societies and Credit Unions) Order 2011 was laid in Parliament for its final period of scrutiny. It will present many opportunities for credit unions to develop their services and expand their membership. For example, the changes in membership rules will allow for recruitment of members in new areas and for partnerships and companies to become members and invest in their local credit union. These new members will also be able to take out loans from their credit union to help their own businesses grow.
	The Government also recognises the importance of Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) which operate to support access to finance in deprived areas and continues to support the sector through:
	£30m of new funding through the Regional Growth Fund, for a new wholesale fund for the community development finance sector, subject to due diligence;
	making a commitment to re-notify the Community Investment Tax Relief to the EU Commission to incentivise private investment in disadvantaged communities and also consult on how the scheme can be made more effective;
	design changes to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee to enable smaller and specialist lenders including CDFIs to participate fully as EFG accredited lenders; and
	contributing to the European PROGRESS Microfinance Facility, which CDFIs can bid to for support.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Armed Conflict

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the National Transitional Council in Libya concerning the location of non-portable air defence systems taken from a Qaddafi ammunition depot in the city of Ga's; and what steps his has taken regarding this matter.

Alistair Burt: Proliferation issues in Libya have been a National Transitional Council priority since Libya’s crisis began. We have raised the subject with them regularly, to ensure that weapons are secured and the situation closely monitored. The NTC has achieved much in tackling security across Libya in recent weeks, by establishing clear command and control structures and ensuring safekeeping of weapons. This remains a priority for the Government and we will continue to raise with the NTC and discuss ways we can support their efforts to counter proliferation.

British Sky Broadcasting

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010.

David Lidington: Budgets in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are devolved to individual directorates in the UK and to our network of Posts overseas. As a consequence, the FCO does not hold this information centrally and to respond would incur disproportionate cost. The main use of Sky TV is Sky News which is a free to air channel.

Departmental Manpower

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has issued directions to staff in (a) UK Trade and Investment and (b) Business Links on communications with hon. Members about potential (i) job losses and (ii) organisational changes within each organisation.

Henry Bellingham: The Department has not issued any directions to staff in regional Business Links or in UK Trade and Investment about communications with hon. Members about potential job losses or organisational changes.

Human Rights

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the government of (a) Egypt, (b) Saudi Arabia, (c) Yemen, (d) Bahrain and (e) Syria on human rights.

Alistair Burt: Human rights concerns in the middle east are a significant priority for the FCO. The Government always aim to take a robust and consistent approach to human rights concerns across the region. In his speech to the National Assembly in Kuwait on 22 February 2011, the Prime Minister set out the parameters of the UK’s approach to the Arab Spring—an approach based on upholding universal values, rights and freedoms, with respect for the different cultures, histories and traditions of the countries in the region.
	Egypt
	We regularly raise human rights issues with the Egyptian authorities. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised our concerns about the dangers of extremism and sectarianism in Egypt, and the use of military courts to enforce the emergency law in proceedings against civilians when he visited Egypt on 2 May 2011. I visited Egypt on 27-28 July 2011 and raised our concerns about freedom of religion, and our embassy in Cairo is in regular contact with the Egyptian Government on human rights issues.
	Saudi Arabia
	We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia and we have made our views well known, including through the Universal Periodic Review process. The UK maintains an open, frank and sustained dialogue with Saudi Arabia on human rights. Both myself, the Foreign Secretary, and our ambassador to Saudi Arabia raise the issues of the treatment of women, the application of the death penalty, the status of foreign workers and judicial reform at every appropriate opportunity.
	Yemen
	In public statements by the Foreign Secretary and myself, and through direct lobbying by our ambassador to Yemen and officials we have raised our concerns about human rights violations with the Yemeni Government and urged them to uphold their responsibility to protect protesters, to respect the principle of freedom of expression and address their legitimate demands. We have called for those responsible for the deaths of civilian protestors to be brought to justice. We welcome the recent visit of the UN Human Rights mission to Yemen and look forward to discussing its assessment of the situation at the next Human Rights Council in September 2011.
	Bahrain
	We continue to urge the Government of Bahrain to meet all its human rights obligations and uphold political freedoms, equal access to justice and the rule of law. The Foreign Secretary spoke to HRH The Crown Prince of Bahrain on 30 June 2011 and to the Bahraini Foreign Minister on 3 August 2011 to reiterate our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Bahrain, and in particular the detention and sentencing of medical professionals and opposition members.
	Syria
	We have and will continue to raise human rights issues at every available opportunity, at both ministerial and official level, with the Syrian authorities. We also discuss Syria with key international partners, and we will continue to take a strong and leading role in working with them to increase pressure on the Syrian regime to cease these atrocities and end the abuse of human rights. We have called for Assad to make radical reforms that meets the legitimate demands of his people, for the violence to stop, for prisoners of conscience to be released and for the UN to have complete freedom to assess the humanitarian situation.

Human Rights

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the response the Minister of State, my noble Friend, the right hon. Lord Howell, gave in the other place on 12 July 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, column 597. We recognise there are human rights concerns in both Indian and Pakistan administered Kashmir and we followed the widely reported violent unrest in Indian administered Kashmir last year. Indian Prime Minister Singh has since said that violations of human rights abuses by security forces in Kashmir would not be tolerated
	It is encouraging that the violent unrest of summer 2010 has not been reported this year. We are closely following the work of the three interlocutors appointed by Prime Minister Singh to help resolve the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir and officials from our British high commission are making regular visits to the region to review the situation on the ground and the response of the authorities. We continue to call for an improvement in the human rights situation on both sides of the Line of Control and for an end to external support for violence in Kashmir. Officials in our high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi regularly discuss India-Pakistan relations, including Kashmir with their counterparts in both countries.

Iraq: Kurds

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the situation in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.

Alistair Burt: We continue to take a close interest in developments in the Kurdish area of Iraq. I recently met a visiting Kurdish Iraqi MP and heard first hand developments on security and in the political process in the Kurdistan region and Iraq more widely.
	Following demonstrations in Suleymaniya earlier this year, I called for the protection of rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Although there have been no further demonstrations, the Consul-General in Erbil raised our concerns with the Kurdistan Regional Government and political figures and continues to monitor the situation. We will continue to raise concerns where we see abuses.

Politics and Government

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department made to the President of Malawi on the action taken by his Government against demonstrations held in that country on 21 and 22 July 2011.

Henry Bellingham: We responded promptly, and robustly, to this entirely unacceptable action. On 21 July 2011, I issued a statement calling on President Mutharika to rein in the security forces and elements of his party, and to allow the media to report freely on the situation in Malawi.
	On 12 August 2011, ahead of the protests then planned for 17 August, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), urged President Mutharika to allow legitimate democratic debate and to open a genuine dialogue with civil society organisations. This is essential to address the serious challenges the country faces. The Foreign Secretary called for all parties to exercise restraint and for the Malawian Government to ensure that the forces under their control allow peaceful demonstrations to go ahead freely.
	The British Government will continue to work with the EU, the Commonwealth and other international partners to help resolve the political situation in Malawi.

Politics and Government

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Indian Government the number of extra-judicial detentions by that country's police forces in Kashmir under the Public Safety Act 1978.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of detentions made under the Public Safety Act (PSA) in Indian administered Kashmir. According to State Government figures 4,064 people were arrested from March 2010 to January 2011 and 3,900 of those arrested have been released. Officials from our high commission visited Indian administered Kashmir in June of this year where they discussed the activities of the Indian military with state authorities. We will continue to look for opportunities to discuss these issues with the state authorities on future visits later this year.

UN World Conference Against Racism

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's planned approach is regarding the UN World Conference Against Racism in September 2011.

Jeremy Browne: I will reply to the hon. Member shortly.

Vitol Group

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) meetings and (b) other contacts he has had with Vitol Group since May 2010.

Henry Bellingham: A full list of ministerial meetings with external organisations is published quarterly on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s website at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/transparency-and-data1/hospitality/

HOME DEPARTMENT

Detention Centres

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring arrangements have been put in place in respect of the reception and removal centres in Turkey to be established under twinning arrangements with the UK Border Agency to ensure compliance with international agreements on human rights to which the UK is a signatory.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency is not aware of any monitoring arrangements currently in place or any plans for such in respect of the reception and removal centres in Turkey.
	The projects' purpose has been to develop the standards for the management of the reception and removal centres as well as addressing overall needs for legislative and administrative alignment with EU law requirements and best practices.

Government Authorised Exchange Medical Training Initiative

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) advantages and (b) disadvantages her Department has assessed in respect of the proposal to reduce the Tier 5 visa period for the Government Authorised Exchange Medical Training Initiative from two years to one year.

Damian Green: The Government are committed to reducing net migration to the United Kingdom. This requires action across all immigration routes of entry. Against that background, the consultation document ‘Employment-Related Settlement, Tier 5 and Overseas Domestic Workers’, published on 9 June, sets out proposed changes to Tier 5. This includes a proposal to cap leave across the Tier 5 Temporary Worker route, which includes Government Authorised Exchange schemes, of which the Medical Training Initiative is one. The purpose of the consultation is to invite views on this proposal. The consultation closes on 9 September. A decision on the way forward will be assessed in the light of responses to the consultation, including those from the Royal Colleges.

Immigration

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were granted indefinite leave to remain having entered the UK on a Tier 5 (temporary worker) visa in each year since 2008.

Damian Green: Tier 5 came into existence in 2008 and no one who has entered the UK on a Tier 5 visa will have as yet completed the five years needed to be granted indefinite leave to remain. However, some of those who have entered on a Tier 5 visa may have switched into the marriage route and thereby been granted indefinite leave to remain but the information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Females

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the confirmed number of women granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK under the domestic violence rule in 2009; and what the equivalent provisional number is for 2010.

Damian Green: The requested information is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Wives granted settlement due to domestic violence after leave to remain granted as a spouse 
			 Year of grant Number of people 
			 2009 708 
			 2010 766 
			 Notes: 1. Data for 2010 are provisional. 2. Settlement is a grant of indefinite leave to enter (on arrival) or indefinite leave to remain (after entry) to a non-EEA national. 3. Excludes dependants. 4. Includes those grants of settlement which follow the outcome of reconsideration cases and the outcome of appeals. 5. May include a small number of cases in which a decision is recorded twice, where an individual has dual nationality. 6. ‘Wives’ includes same sex, civil and unmarried partners. 
		
	
	Information on grants of indefinite leave to remain under the domestic violence rule is published annually in the Immigration Statistics release, which is available from the Home Office Science web site at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/migration/migration-statistics1/
	A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics April to June 2011, will be placed in the House Library.

National DNA Database

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals' records are held on the National DNA database.

James Brokenshire: As at 30 June 2011, there were 6,696,156 DNA profile records on the National DNA database taken by all UK police forces which relate to an estimated 5,729,959 individuals (estimate taken 4 July 2011). On 30 June 2011 there were 6,264,559 profile records taken by forces in England and Wales, which relate to an estimated 5,368,950 individuals (estimate taken 4 July 2011).
	The number of individuals is estimated because a proportion of DNA profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, that is a person's profile has been loaded on more then one occasion, for example because a person gave different names on separate arrests. The presence of these replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database.
	The data provided are management information and have not been formally assessed for compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. These figures may also be subject to further quality assurance checks.

Overseas Workers

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effects of abolishing the overseas domestic worker visa on the security of domestic workers; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: The Government's consultation on employment-related settlement, Tier 5 of the points based system and overseas domestic workers, which is open for comment until 9 September 2011, includes an option to abolish the route for overseas domestic workers to work in the private household of their employer in the UK.
	As the consultation acknowledges, it is an important consideration that there can be serious problems associated with the treatment of people working for others in a domestic capacity. Documented abuses and the suspicion that the route can enable people to be brought here to be abused or exploited, provide a case for closing it. We will assess evidence and views submitted in response to the consultation that closure of the route would increase the likelihood of abuse.
	The consultation is available on the UK Border Agency website at:
	www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

Overseas Workers

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with Ministerial colleagues at the (a) Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) Department for International Development on the consultation document on Employment Related Settlement, Tier 5 and Overseas Domestic Workers.

Damian Green: The content of the consultation document was agreed collectively by interested Ministers prior to publication. The UK Border Agency continues to discuss the proposals with other Government Departments.

Police

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which foreign countries UK police forces have purchased equipment in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: This information is not held centrally.

Police Custody

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police cells were available for use in England in (a) 2011, (b) 2010, (c) 2000 and (d) 1990.

Nick Herbert: The provision of police cells is an operational matter for each chief officer. As such, the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police: Budget

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what tasks she expects the police no longer to carry out as a result of reductions in the policing budget.

Nick Herbert: In response to necessary reductions in central Government funding, every police force should be driving through efficiencies and rooting out wasteful spending in order to maintain or improve services while providing them at lower cost. The Government are playing their part by reducing central direction, getting rid of needless bureaucracy, cutting out wasted time and money in IT, and making sure police forces make the most of their vast purchasing power by buying together.

Police: Manpower

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the change in the number of positions in each police force in each of the years from 2011-12 to 2015-16.

Nick Herbert: It is a matter for the chief constable and the police authority in each force to determine the number of police officers that are deployed within the available resource.

Social Services: Manpower

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate her Department has made of the number of people employed in the adult social care sector who will be subject to regulated activity following the implementation of the provisions of the Protection of Freedoms Bill;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of people employed in the adult social care sector who undertake (a) regulated and (b) controlled activity.

Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply.
	We are informed by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), that a research exercise carried out in 2007 estimated that the total numbers in regulated activity under the then Vetting and Barring Scheme were around 9.3 million, based on a summation of estimates for a range of job categories.
	The categories likely to correspond most closely to adult social care are ‘Residential and day care managers’, ‘Houseparents and residential wardens’ and ‘Care assistants and home carers’, although these will also include some people who provide care to children.
	The estimated total for those three categories is some 713,000(1). Other categories in the survey are also likely to include elements of adult social care(2).
	Most areas of adult social care will remain in regulated activity following the changes proposed in the Protection of Freedoms Bill, so we do not expect a significant reduction in the figure.
	It is estimated that a total of 0.5 million people are currently in controlled activity, but figures for individual sectors such as adult social care are not available. This category will be repealed under proposals in the Protection of Freedoms Bill.
	(1) The research on which this figure is based has a planning accuracy tolerance of +/-15%.
	(2) For example, various forms of therapists, social workers, housekeepers-and related occupations.

Warwickshire Police Authority

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of police officer pensions to the Warwickshire Police Authority in each year since 2005.

Nick Herbert: The costs of police officer pensions to a police authority consist of the employer contribution, currently 24.2% of an officer's pensionable pay, and additional costs in the event of an officer's compulsory retirement on ill-health grounds: A police authority also bears the cost of injury pensions paid to former officers injured in connection with police duty, under the Police Injury Benefit Regulations. However, information concerning the costs associated with police injury benefits are not routinely collected by the Home Office and are not included here.
	The relevant costs to Warwickshire Police Authority for police officer pensions (not including injury pensions) each year were:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2006-07 8.382 
			 2007-08 8.635 
			 2008-09 8.601 
			 2009-10 8.696 
			 2010-11 (1)8.869 
			 (1) Currently based on unaudited information. 
		
	
	Figures before 2006-07 relate to the previous system of police pensions financing. Information for 2005/06 and previous years about police pensions costs is included in the relevant annual reports published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). This information was gathered independently of the Home Office.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Councillors: Travel

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the use of (a) taxis and (b) leased vehicles for travel by their elected members.

Bob Neill: No such guidance has been issued.
	The new Code of Recommended Practice for local authorities on data transparency introduces full transparency on (a) councillor allowances and expenses and (b) expenditure on goods and services over £500. Such openness will help prevent wasteful spending of taxpayers' money.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed by his Department between June 2007 and May 2010; and what the cost to the public purse was in (i) cash and (ii) real terms of such appointments.

Bob Neill: The Department's special adviser and press office full-time equivalent staff numbers are summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Special advisers Press office staff 
			 2007-08 3 38 
			 2008-09 3 43 
			 2009-10 3 45.58 
		
	
	The number of special advisers within the Department varies within the year (as appointments sometimes overlap). The numbers given in the above table represent the number there were for the majority of each year. In 2010, the Department employed three special advisers up to the election in May 2010, and two special advisers subsequent to the election.
	Salary costs for the Department's special advisers are given in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 
			 Cash terms 240,252 201,850 296,653 
			 Real terms 250,920 205,137 296,653

Enterprise Zones

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with business organisations about the criteria on which applications for enterprise zones are being assessed.

Greg Clark: Bids to the competition were put forward by local enterprise partnerships, who were asked to provide, in addition to other information, evidence and analysis that their proposals were likely to meet the needs of targeted business.

Government Procurement Card

Chris Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Government Procurement Card transactions were made by his Department's officials withdrawing cash from automated teller machines from 2006-07 to 2009-10; at what cost; and on what dates.

Bob Neill: holding answer 19 July 2011
	The following cash withdrawals have been made by departmental officials from April 2006 to March 2010:
	
		
			  Amount (£) 
			 24 April 2006 235.10 
			 1 June 2006 611.03 
			 8 September 2006 88.93 
			 8 September 2006 351.42 
			 8 September 2006 351.42 
			 8 September 2006 402.64 
			 18 October 2006 861.21 
			 7 November 2006 73.12 
			 27 November 2006 527.82 
			 1 December 2006 205.52 
			 5 December 2006 36.76 
			 5 December 2006 477.94 
		
	
	
		
			 10 January 2007 348.34 
			 28 June 2007 500.00 
			 2 July 2007 500.00 
			 3 July 2007 200.00 
			 4 November 2008 190.68 
			 9 December 2008 49.64 
		
	
	Currently the Department pays a 2.95% fee on cash advances (minimum charge of £2.95). For foreign exchange transactions we pay a 2.95% fee (minimum charge of £2.95 plus a further currency exchange purchase fee of 2.95%).
	The new administration has reviewed its policy on Government Procurement Card usage. As well as reducing the number of cards held, the Department has cancelled the cash withdrawal facility for all but two Government Procurement Card holders (for business continuity reasons).

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by Firebuy using the Government Procurement Card since its establishment.

Bob Neill: A table providing a breakdown of expenditure by Firebuy using Government Procurement Cards since its establishment has been placed in the Library of the House. This includes (a) date of purchase, (b) amount and (c) supplier, (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction details are not held centrally. Each transaction does have an expenditure type which is a broad description of the type of goods purchased. These data cover the periods July 2006 to June 2011.
	Firebuy is closing as part of Government's review of arm’s length bodies and it went into voluntary liquidation on 13 July 2011.
	My Department is committed to greater transparency over the use of the Government Procurement Card than under the last Administration, and has strengthened checks and balances to ensure protection of taxpayers' money.

Housing: Greater London

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the level of (a) central Government and (b) local authority expenditure on social housing development in each London borough in (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14.

Grant Shapps: The following table sets out the existing commitments through the Homes and Communities Agency's National Affordable Homes and Kickstart programmes in each London borough for 2012-13 and 2013-14.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2012-13 2013-14 Total 2012-14 
			  Social Rent Affordable Housing (including Social Rent) Social Rent Affordable Housing (including Social Rent) Social Rent Affordable Housing (including Social Rent) 
			 Barking and Dagenham 7.6 9.1 18.3 21.9 25.9 31.0 
		
	
	
		
			 Barnet 9.8 10.0 10.3 12.3 20.1 22.3 
			 Bexley 1.2 1.4 0 0 1.2 1.4 
			 Brent 12.2 13.9 0 0 12.2 13.9 
			 Bromley 5.8 5.9 0 0 5.8 5.9 
			 Camden 17.3 18.7 4.7 4.7 22.0 23.4 
			 Croydon 8.0 8.5 0 0 8.0 8.5 
			 Ealing 13.9 16.4 0 0 13.9 16.4 
			 Enfield 6.6 9.8 0 0 6.6 9.8 
			 Greenwich 30.0 35.1 25.0 26.7 55.0 61.8 
			 Hackney 21,0 25.0 3.4 3.6 24.4 28.5 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 0.7 1.0 0 0 0.7 1.0 
			 Haringey 3.0 5.5 7.3 11.1 10.2 16.6 
			 Harrow 7.1 10.4 2.1 2.9 9.2 13.3 
			 Havering 17.4 19.0 0 0 17.4 19.0 
			 Hillingdon 5.6 6.9 0 0 5.6 6.9 
			 Hounslow 2.4 3.1 0 0 2.4 3.1 
			 Islington 10.4 12.0 4.3 8.2 14.7 20.2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2.3 2.3 1.1 1.1 3.4 3.4 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0.7 0.8 1.3 1.6 1.9 2.4 
			 Lambeth 1.0 1.3 0 0 1.0 1.3 
			 Lewisham 14.6 18.5 9.2 11.5 23.9 30.0 
			 Merton 2.6 4.4 0.2 0.2 2.8 4.6 
			 Newham 15.6 17.3 6.8 11.0 22.4 28.3 
			 Redbridge 3.6 5.7 0 0 3.6 5.7 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2.3 2.5 0 0 2.3 2.5 
			 Southwark 9.2 9.3 10.7 14.4 19.8 23.7 
			 Sutton 3.1 3.4 0 0 3.1 3.4 
			 Tower Hamlets 27.0 31.2 3.2 4.3 30.2 35.5 
			 Waltham Forest 10.8 12.0 0 0 10.8 12.0 
			 Wandsworth 4.2 4.5 1.7 2.3 5.9 6.7 
			 Westminster 1.9 2.2 0 0 1.9 2.2 
			 Total for London 278.9 327.3 109.7 137.8 388.5 465.1 
			 Notes: 1. The information is committed expenditure in London as at end of July 2011.  2. Includes expenditure relating to the National Affordable Housing Programme and Kickstart. 3. Excludes expenditure relating to FirstBuy and Kickstart Investment Support. 4. The Affordable Housing Total includes grant provided for social rent, as identified separately, and also grant provided for Low Cost Home Ownership 5. Figures may not sum due to rounding. Source: Homes and Communities Agency 
		
	
	On 14 July I announced the outcome of the Homes and Communities Agency's assessment of the proposals of the new Affordable Homes Programme 2011-15. Through this new programme 146 providers will deliver 80,000 new homes for Affordable Rent and Affordable Home Ownership with Government funding of £1.8 billion over the next four years. From this the total available to London is £627 million.
	The Homes and Communities Agency is currently negotiating contracts with providers. Once this is completed they intend to publish on their website the allocations by local authority area.
	This Government are also providing funding to help first time buyers and maintain capacity in the house building industry through the FirstBuy programme. The scheme will help nearly;10,500 households to purchase a new build property by spring 2013 with a 20% equity loan co-funded by Government and house builders. An allocation of £20.8 million for FirstBuy in London was announced on 20 June 2011. This has been allocated on an area wide basis, as the breakdown of funding by London borough will not be known until the completion of sales.
	In addition, we have set aside almost £1 billion over this spending review period for the New Homes Bonus Scheme. This scheme will match fund the additional council tax raised, using the national average in each band, for new homes and long-term empty properties brought back into use. From 2012-13 an additional £350 will be payable for each affordable home. This unringfenced funding will ensure that the benefits of housing growth are visible to the communities affected. Local authorities will need to lead the debate with their communities to determine local spending priorities.
	This Department does not hold details of local authority expenditure used to support social housing development.
	The Localism Bill, currently going through Parliament, will devolve further responsibilities to the Mayor.

Land: Waste

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether land that is designated with a B2 planning status can be used for a waste incinerator development without requiring a change in the outline planning permission.

Bob Neill: A decision on whether a development is an appropriate use for land designated in a development plan for B2 use (General Industry), or whether it is acceptable in terms of any outline planning permission already granted, is one for the local planning authority to take having regard to the circumstances of the particular case concerned.
	We are currently undertaking a wider review of how change of use is handled in the planning system. This will include consideration of the status of waste management facilities within the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987.

Non-domestic Rates

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what conclusions he has reached as a result of his consultation with local businesses on his proposed changes to local business rates.

Bob Neill: The Government published proposals for business rate retention in: “Local Government Resource Review: Proposals for Business Rate Retention” on 18 July 2011. Responses are requested by 24 October.

Planning: Radio

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether his Department has any plans to require local authorities to announce public and planning notices on local or regional radio.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not have any plans to require local authorities to announce their public and planning notices on local or regional radio.
	Local authorities are required by law to publicise planning notices in accordance with Article 13 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2010. This normally involves notifying neighbours by letter and/or displaying a site notice, as well as publishing information about each application on their website. Additionally, in certain circumstances, a notice must be published in a local newspaper.

Regional Planning and Development

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2011, Official Report, column 1128W, on regional planning and development, and with reference to paragraph 10 of the Government Response to the Communities and Local Government Committee's Report on Abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies: a planning vacuum, by what process the voluntary environmental assessment on the revocation of regional strategies paragraph 10 will be undertaken; and what the arrangements and timetable will be for public engagement consistent with the obligations under the Aarhus Convention.

Bob Neill: As announced in my written ministerial statement on 5 April 2011, Official Report, column 52WS, a voluntary assessment of the likely significant environmental effect of revoking the regional strategies is being undertaken in line with the process laid down in the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004. The arrangements and timetable will therefore also be in line with the process laid down in those regulations, which is also in line with the Aarhus Convention. An environmental report is being compiled for each regional strategy and public consultation will begin shortly.

South East Plan

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has made a determination under regulation 9 of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 on the likely environmental effects of revoking the South East Plan; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: As announced in my written ministerial statement on 5 April 2011, Official Report, column 52WS, the Government are undertaking a voluntary assessment of the likely significant environmental effects of revoking all eight Regional Strategies. A determination under Regulation 9 has not been made. I will announce the start of public consultation on the assessments shortly.

Tenants: Evictions

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tenants in each local authority area have received warnings from their local authority that they could be evicted from their homes if they, or a family member, are convicted of criminal conduct during the public disorders of August 2011.

Grant Shapps: The Department for Communities and Local Government do not collect data on the number of council tenants who have been issued with warnings by their local authority landlords that they may face eviction as a result of conduct relating to the riots.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Barbary Macaque: Morocco

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will provide expert advice to the Government of (a) Morocco and (b) Algeria on steps to protect and conserve the Barbary macaque.

Richard Benyon: We have not been approached to provide expert advice to the Governments of Morocco or Algeria to help protect and conserve the Barbary macaque. We do, however, provide considerable support to several multilateral environmental agreements, such as the convention on biological diversity and the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora in support of biodiversity conservation globally.

Biodiversity

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether international co-ordination of the conservation of high seas biodiversity will be included in her Department's priorities for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012.

Richard Benyon: The UK priorities for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 (Rio+20) are currently being developed across Government. Biodiversity is likely to feature in those priorities, but the form this will take has yet to be agreed.

Departmental Telephone Services

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding she has allocated to each telephone helpline operated by her Department in 2011-12; and what the purpose is of each such helpline.

Richard Benyon: We provide the following telephone helplines:
	Core DEFRA
	General DEFRA Helpline
	The general DEFRA Helpline provides a single point of contact for all DEFRA general inquiries from the public. Allocated funding is £252,000.
	DEFRA Farming Online Helpline
	DEFRA Farming Online allocates an element of its 'business as usual' budget to maintain a dedicated telephone helpline (delivered by the RPA) which provides technical assistance for farmers using DEFRA's online services through the Business Link Farming Theme and offers user technical support for farmers carrying out online transactions in respect of the systems for Cattle Tracing, Single Payment Scheme (SPS) claims and Farm Assessments and Surveys. Allocated funding is £90,000.
	Wild Bird Surveillance and Animal Diseases Helpline
	The helpline's twin purposes are: to enable members of the public to report mass (five or more carcases) wild bird fatalities for Avian Influenza surveillance purposes; and to provide assistance for animal keepers during outbreaks of non-native (exotic) diseases of animals. Allocated funding is £25,000.
	PLANET (Planning Land Applications of Nutrients for Efficiency and the environment) Helpline
	The helpline is a support mechanism for the PLANET computer-based decision support tool which helps farmers and land managers optimise their use of fertilisers and other nutrients so helping with growing of crops and avoiding over-use which can harm the environment. The helpline provides a mix of IT help for farmers while they familiarise themselves with the software and provides nutritional advice from trained fertiliser advisers. Allocated funding is £35,000.
	Executive Agencies
	Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency
	PETS Helpline
	This provides advice and guidance on pet passports and travelling with pets. Allocated funding is £120,000.
	TSE Helpline
	This helpline gives general and technical advice to the disposal industry and farmers relating to BSE and scrapie testing requirements. Allocated funding is £50,000.
	Rural Payments Agency
	(Note technical assistance on using the respective systems covered by the two helplines following is provided by the DEFRA Farming Online Helpline listed above).
	The British Cattle Movement Service Helpline
	This helpline supports cattle keepers of Great Britain and includes a separate Welsh language helpline. It provides information and guidance on the rules, regulations and requirements in respect of cattle passports and the reporting of birth, death and movement of cattle. Allocated funding is £777,000.
	The Rural Payments Agency Helpline
	This helpline provides information and guidance on the rules, regulations and requirements in respect of the Rural Land Register, Customer Registration and the Single Payment Scheme (SPS). Allocated funding is £2,726,000.
	Non-Departmental Public Bodies
	The Environment Agency
	The Environment Agency Floodline
	This comprises a Recorded Message service and Live Agent service providing information on flood warnings and advice to customers on what to do before, during and after flooding in England Wales and Scotland, the Scottish portion is funded by Scottish Government via Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). Allocated funding is £950,000 (which excludes £50,000 funding from SEPA).
	The Environment Agency's National Customer Contact Centre (NCCC)
	This has three helplines: General inquiries, Hazardous Waste and Agricultural Waste. The NCCC is not purely an inbound helpline service. It provides help and guidance, multiple registration services, an outbound regulation awareness service and a host of non-phone activities that include e-mail correspondence and paper and electronic application processing. Allocated funding within the NCCC for the three helpline services is £1,400,000.
	Natural England
	Natural England  I nquiry Service
	This is the first point of contact for general inquiries covering Natural England and its work. Allocated funding is £30,000.
	Cross Compliance Helpline
	This fulfils an EU legal requirement to provide advice to farmers and landowners. It is available to all Single Payment Scheme (SPS) claimants and is delivered on behalf of DEFRA. Allocated funding is £60,000.
	Open Access Helpline
	Open Access restrictions, inquiries and advice for landowners, farmers and the public as required by legislation and including fire severity risk advice. Allocated funding is £60,000.
	Wildlife Management and Licensing Helpline
	This provides advice on wildlife and the issuing of licences as required by legislation. It also provides advice on wild birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians that are legally protected. Allocated funding is £60,000.
	Environmental Impact assessment
	Advice is provided for landowners and farmers on Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations as required by legislation. Allocated funding is £20,000.
	Wildlife Poisoning Incidents
	This is for people seeking advice and guidance on as well as reporting of suspected wildlife poisoning incidents. Allocated funding is £20,000.

Environment Protection

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps she has taken at an international level in respect of steps to (a) reduce levels of overfishing, (b) mitigate the impact of greenhouse gases in acidifying the oceans, (c) reduce levels of man-made pollution and (d) reduce levels of nutrient run-off.

Richard Benyon: The information requested is as follows.
	(a) The UK is leading the calls to reform the European Union's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to overcome its serious structural failings, which have led to the over exploitation of fish stocks including the wasteful practice of discarding fish. The UK is building support for genuine and radical change that includes providing the incentives and regulatory framework to enable us to:
	catch less fish but land more of it, for example by replacing landing-based quota with catch quotas;
	adopt a regionalised CFP that eliminates over-detailed central regulation; and
	apply the same principles of sustainable use of marine resources within and outside EU waters.
	The UK is also calling on Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, which manage fish stocks in international and coastal waters, to set quotas that fully reflect the best available scientific advice in order to ensure the future sustainability of all species.
	(b) The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has the lead responsibility for mitigation including international negotiations under the UN framework convention on climate change. However, in order to improve our understanding of the potential impacts of ocean acidification DEFRA, DECC and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) are jointly funding a £12 million research programme. This programme has strong links into the European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA) which has enabled cross-national field observations and joint modelling projections to be undertaken which could not have been undertaken by any one country. As a result of this collaborative approach, EU scientists have become the international leaders in ocean acidification research. The next stage is to engage in a major joint EU-US experiment, while maintaining a strong European leadership.
	Scientists all around the world are working to understand what these impacts might be. The five year UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme (UKOA) is the UK's response to these growing concerns over ocean acidification and is jointly funded by DEFRA, DECC and NERC. This programme is also inputting to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the United Nations frame convention on climate change.
	(c) The UK Government are fully involved in a wide range of international initiatives, beyond those undertaken within the European Union, to address man-made pollution. These include:
	The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), which promotes the sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals around the world are produced and used in ways that minimise significant adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
	The Rotterdam convention, which promotes shared responsibility and co-operative efforts among parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment and to contribute to the environmentally sound use of those chemicals.
	The Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife, and have adverse effects to human health or to the environment.
	The UK, as a party to the Stockholm convention, agreed at the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties on 25-9 April 2011 to add endosulfan, a widely used pesticide, to the list of persistent organic pollutants to be eliminated worldwide. This decision was among more than 30 measures taken by parties to the convention to boost global action against POPs.
	The UK plays an active role in the convention on long range transboundary air pollution (CLRTAP) in order to tackle emissions to air of a range of harmful pollutants from the wider Europe and North America area. In 2009 the protocol on persistent organic pollutants was revised to include controls on additional organic pollutants. Amendments to the Gothenburg protocol are expected to be agreed within the next seven months leading to reductions in emissions of five pollutants (nitrogen oxides; sulphur dioxide; volatile organic compounds; ammonia and particulate matter) that lead to acidification, eutrophication, ground level ozone and particulate matter. Revisions to the heavy metals protocol are expected to be agreed within approximately the next year, bringing further controls on the metals cadmium, lead and mercury.
	(d) The UK is participating with other North sea countries in an initiative organised through the OSPAR convention for the protection of the north-east Atlantic to
	model the contribution of the nutrient load of different rivers to eutrophication effects (chlorophyll and oxygen) in coastal and offshore areas of the North sea to estimate the degree of change needed in key parameters to bring the current eutrophication problem areas in the eastern North sea to non-problem area status.
	Action to amend the Gothenburg protocol under the CLTRAP is expected to lead to further international controls on emissions of nitrogen dioxide and ammonia, and to updated guidance on fertiliser and manure management resulting in more efficient nitrogen use and reduced levels of nutrient run off.
	The UK signed up to the commitments under the convention on biological diversity new Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-20 at the Nagoya Biodiversity Conference in October 2010. The Strategic Plan includes target 8 that by 2020, pollution, including from excess nutrients, has been bought to levels that are not detrimental to ecosystem function and biodiversity.

Food: Waste

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has set a date by which no food waste will go to landfill.

Richard Benyon: The Government's Review of Waste Policy in England, published in June, sets out our vision of a zero waste economy, where resources are fully valued and only disposed of as a last resort.
	Keeping food waste out of landfill is central to meeting this objective. It will only be achieved by working with householders, communities and businesses to make sure that waste collection systems are locally appropriate, and that treatment techniques and technologies are as innovative and sustainable as possible.
	Although we have not set a date by which no food should go to landfill, we believe that the measures set out in the Waste Review, together with the Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan, put us on the right path to achieving our zero waste ambitions.

Natural Capital Committee

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the terms of reference will be for the Natural Capital Committee.

Richard Benyon: The Natural Capital Committee is one of the key commitments of the Natural Environment White Paper, ‘The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature’, and has been set up to advise the Government on the state of English natural capital. Its terms of reference are currently being agreed, and will be based on the commitment in the White Paper.

Natural Capital Committee

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made in developing a scoping study for a natural capital asset check.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA will commission a scoping study for a natural capital asset check this autumn. We held a workshop in May to inform thinking about this study, and commissioned think piece papers which are currently being reviewed. The study will be developed in conjunction with the wider research work which builds on the UK National Ecosystem Assessment.

Natural Capital Committee

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the members will be of the Natural Capital Committee.

Richard Benyon: The members of the Natural Capital Committee have not yet been recruited. The Committee will be composed of a small number of leading experts in this area. They will be recruited through an open competition process, consistent with the Code of Practice of the Office of the Commissioner on Public Appointments.

Natural Capital Committee

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable she has set for the establishment of the Natural Capital Committee.

Richard Benyon: The recruitment of the chair and members of the Natural Capital Committee will start this autumn. The Committee will meet as soon as possible after they have been recruited.

Natural Environment

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made in developing new supplementary guidance to the HM Treasury Green Book on valuing the natural environment in appraisals.

Richard Benyon: The Natural Environment White Paper, “The Natural Choice: securing the value of nature”, made a commitment to publish new supplementary guidance to the Green Book, on accounting for environmental impacts in policy appraisal. DEFRA has made good progress, with HM Treasury engagement, on guidance emphasising the importance of accounting for the benefits which whole ecosystems provide, as well as more detailed guidance on the assessment of specific types of environmental impacts, such as air quality. DEFRA will be consulting other Government Departments during September on the matter.

Renewable Energy

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable she has set for the establishment of the loan fund to stimulate investment in additional anaerobic digestion infrastructure.

Richard Benyon: The £10 million Anaerobic Digestion Loan Fund (ADLF), as set out in the Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan, is now up and running.
	The ADLF is administered by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). It is WRAP'S intention to open the fund for applications in the following periods: July to October 2011, January to April 2012, June to September 2012 and December to March 2012-13.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Bioenergy Review

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to publish the UK Bioenergy Strategy; and what account he plans to take of the Committee on Climate Change's Bioenergy Review in formulating the strategy.

Charles Hendry: DECC is working closely with other Government Departments and Government advisory bodies, including the Committee on Climate Change, to develop a cross-Government bio-energy strategy. We expect to publish this at the turn of the year, as the response to the Committee on Climate Change's Bio-energy review.

Biofuels

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the contribution renewable heat from biomass combined heat and power generation will make to the target for energy consumption from renewable sources set under the Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC).

Gregory Barker: Analysis undertaken for the renewable heat incentive (RHI) impact assessment (published March 2011) suggests a contribution of around 5 TWh of renewable heat from biomass combined heat and power (CHP) by 2020 based on a 2.5p/kWh tariff (equating to around 9% of 58 TWh). However, actual uptake is uncertain. Our estimates will be subject to further analysis and updated in the light of the proposals in the forthcoming consultation on the banding review of the renewables obligation.

British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  whether the cost of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme levelling option is cost neutral; and what profit or loss the option made in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what formulation (a) is and (b) has previously been used to calculate the addition and deduction of payments to the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme levelling option.

Charles Hendry: This is a matter for the Trustees of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme who are contactable at the following address;
	Coal Pension Trustee Services Ltd
	Ventana House
	Concourse Way
	Sheffield SI 2BJ
	E-mail: bcsss.enquiries@coal-pension.org.uk

Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish his Department's submission to the consultation by HM Treasury on the introduction of a carbon price floor.

Gregory Barker: The Department made no formal submission to the consultation by HM Treasury (HMT) on the introduction of a carbon price floor. A carbon price floor is the first facet of the Government's four point plan to transform the UK’s power announced in the Electricity Market Reform (EMR) White Paper. Consequently, though the introduction of the carbon price floor was led by HMT/HMRC as it is a tax matter, DECC has been very closely involved in the analysis and policy development. All individual responses to HMT's consultation (where confidentiality was not requested) are available on HMT's website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consult_carbon_price_support.htm

Departmental Work Experience

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree of 18 October 2010, Official Report, column 479W, on departmental work experience, what the beginning and end dates were of each unpaid internship; for how many weeks each such intern worked in the Department; what the average number of hours worked by each such intern per week was; whether each such intern worked fixed hours; what the recruitment process was for each such vacancy; and where the positions were advertised.

Gregory Barker: Pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree of 18 October 2010, Official Report, column 479W, on departmental work experience there were eight unpaid internships. During the course of our current investigations to answer this question further information has come to light and one of these interns has been identified as an existing civil servant on loan to the Department of Energy and Climate Change and therefore not an internship. We apologise for this error.
	Detailed information on internships and work experience placements was not centrally approved or recorded prior to April 2011 and for this reason there is a gap in the information relating to one of the seven interns. Since April 2011 DECC has ensured that all work experience placements and internships are awarded through fair and open competition, in line with Baroness Warsi's commitment to end informal internships in Whitehall.
	
		
			 Interns Start date End date Number   of weeks worked Average number   of hours worked Fixed hours Recruitment process Where advertised 
			 1 27 June 2010 27 August 2010 9 <36 No Direct approach by student Not advertised 
			 2 1 July 2010 30 August 2010 9 36 No Limited competition Through university 
			 3 1 July 2010 25 August 2011 8 36 No Direct approach by student Not advertised 
			 4 16 August 10 28 August 2010 2 — No Through internal contact Not advertised 
			 5 11 January 2010 5 February 2010 10 36 No Limited competition Not advertised 
			 6 13 September 2010 24 September 2010 1 36 No Through internal contact Not advertised 
			 7 14 June 2010 2 July 2010 2 36 No Information not available Information not available

Electric Cables

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what guidance he gives the National Grid on the use of (a) underground cable and (b) pylons and overhead power lines when establishing new grids.

Charles Hendry: Government policy on how the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) should consider applications for nationally significant energy infrastructure projects is set out in the Energy National Policy Statements designated on 19 July following their approval by Parliament. The NPS for Electricity Networks Infrastructure (EN-5) specifically covers the impacts of overhead lines as well as the undergrounding of lines that National Grid will need to consider when preparing an application for development consent.

Energy: Conservation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to offering rewards to communities to encourage the take-up of energy efficiency measures.

Gregory Barker: The Green Deal supported by the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) will deliver a range of energy saving measures at little or no effective cost to the recipients. Local community partnerships may be a very efficient way of driving take up.
	We are exploring with local authorities the potential for them to make use of the new freedoms they will gain under the Localism Bill to develop incentives.
	Additionally, the Behaviour Change and Energy Use report released by the Government in July announced a trial to test the impact of offering community rewards on the impact of take up of energy efficiency measures.

Energy: Conservation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has any plans for a national roll-out of the RE:NEW energy efficiency programme.

Gregory Barker: From late 2012 the Green Deal will be available to British households and businesses. While there are no Government plans for a national roll-out, the type of partnership arrangements that underpin London's RE:NEW programme is certainly an approach we envisage will be relevant under the Green Deal. Furthermore, under the Home Energy Conservation Act we will encourage local authorities to work together and with the private sector to deliver energy efficiency improvements.

Energy: Prices

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effects of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme and carbon floor price on domestic energy bills up to 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: DECC's assessment of the overall impact of energy and climate, change policies on energy prices and bills was published alongside the Annual Energy Statement in July 2010:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/ec_social_res/analytic_projs/price_bill_imp/price_bill_imp.aspx
	This assessment set out the estimated impact of the EU Emissions Trading System on an average domestic electricity bill as £30 (6%) in 2020 (in 2009 prices). This is compared to a bill in the absence of energy and climate change policies.
	Subsequent to this publication, the impact assessment for the carbon price floor:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/consult_carbon_ price_support_ia.pdf
	estimated that it would add a further £11 (2%) to the average domestic electricity bill in 2020 (in 2009 prices). This is the marginal impact of the carbon price floor relative to a baseline that includes those policies already in place (or planned to a sufficient degree) at the time of publication.
	Both these policies will help deliver a cleaner and more secure electricity supply and their impact on household energy bills will be offset by policies that help to improve energy efficiency.
	An updated assessment of the impact of energy and climate change policies on energy prices and bills will be published alongside the Annual Energy Statement in the autumn reflecting policy developments over the last year.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what projects in the UK have received funding from the EU New Entrant Reserve Fund 300 (NER300) since the scheme's inception.

Gregory Barker: No projects have received funding from the NER300.
	All applications for funding from the first tranche of the NER300 are currently undergoing a due diligence assessment, by the European Investment Bank. After this the European Commission will carry out their own checks before making final award decisions (expected in the second half of 2012).

Fuel Oil: Prices

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that vulnerable people are protected from high domestic heating oil and liquefied petroleum gas costs; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The Government are sympathetic to the plight of many off-grid energy consumers who were hit hard by high prices and supply issues last winter. We are keen that the reasons for this are thoroughly investigated which is why I wrote to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in January to ask it to bring forward its competition and consumer study into off-grid energy. The OFT has launched its market study into the off-grid energy market on 15 March and will publish its findings in October 2011. The market study will provide an independent assessment of the off-grid market and establish what further action may be necessary to ensure it works properly.
	Vulnerable off-grid consumers, including those whose primary heating source is heating oil or liquefied petroleum gas, could be eligible for grants under the Warm Front scheme for specified heating and insulation measures up to £3,500 in value or £6,000 where the work includes installation of an oil fired central heating system or an alternative low carbon technology for properties off the main gas grid. Additionally the Warm Home Discount scheme introduced in April this year will require energy companies by law to give a discount on electricity bills to more of their most low income and vulnerable customers. Government are working to ensure 600,000 of the poorest pensioners receive a £120 discount on their electricity bill this year, ensuring eligible households off the gas grid will benefit. Other groups such as low income families and those with long-term illnesses and disabilities may also receive this discount; they may also receive assistance under transitional arrangements from the previous voluntary agreement. In total, the scheme will benefit around 2 million households this year, with a value of up to £250 million.

Fuel Poverty

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last met representatives of charitable organisations to discuss fuel poverty.

Gregory Barker: Policy officials in the fuel poverty team and I regularly meet, with key stakeholders with an interest in fuel poverty. I recently met with Macmillan Cancer Support, and have had wider engagement with other groups through my attendance at the Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency All Party Group, including National Energy Action and Citizens Advice.

Nuclear Power: Research

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent on nuclear research and development by (a) the Office for Nuclear Development and (b) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority since May 2010.

Charles Hendry: The Office for Nuclear Development has not funded any nuclear research and development (R&D) since May 2010.
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) funds R&D to advance the UK's decommissioning and clean-up programme, and to progress the implementation of geological disposal for higher activity radioactive wastes. The figures available cover the period from May 2010 to July 2011:
	Direct spend by NDA HQ on decommissioning and clean-up R&D: £5.4 million.
	Spend by NDA's Radioactive Waste Management Directorate on geological disposal R&D: £6.0 million.
	Total NDA spend £11.4 million.

Oil: Seas and Oceans

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the recent oil spills in the North Sea; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Over the last ten years crude oil releases on the UKCS have been typically relatively small—ranging from 0.0001 tonnes to 36 tonnes. However, the Gannet release, which occurred between 10 and 19 August, was the largest oil release on the UKCS in the last decade, totalling approximately 218 tonnes.
	There has been no evidence of any significant environmental impact to date resulting from any of these releases, including the recent Gannet release.
	Since l June 2011, 15 crude oil releases have been reported with a total volume of approximately 223 tonnes, which includes the Gannet release at approximately 218 tonnes and 14 other releases making up the balance of 5 tonnes.
	For details of my assessment of the Gannet oil release, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) to question 70147.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the timetable is for the (a) publication, (b) consultation and (c) laying before Parliament of the Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2012; and whether he has assessed the potential effects of the Order on delivering investor certainty.

Charles Hendry: We intend to launch a public consultation shortly on proposals for banded support under the renewables obligation for the period 2013-17. The consultation package will include a draft of the Renewables Obligation (Amendment) Order 2012. The final draft order will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible after the Government issues its formal response to the consultation. Subject to State Aid’s approval, the new bands will come into effect on 1 April 2013 as planned (1 April 2014 for offshore wind).
	Investor confidence is essential to helping the UK achieve its ambitious aims for renewables energy deployment. That is why I announced last December the speeding up of the renewables obligation banding review. We will complete the review, and introduce the order enshrining support levels in law, several months ahead of the original banding review timetable announced by the previous Government. This will give investors earlier certainty on the support levels available for large-scale renewable electricity deployment from April 2013.

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what financial support his Department allocated to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) in the financial year (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and what discussions his Department has had with the Department for International Development on the priorities for REEEP funding.

Gregory Barker: REEEP received a £2.5 million grant from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) for 2010-11, and will receive £1 million for 2011-12. DECC officials consulted officials from the Department for International Development on identifying high quality projects in priority countries for REEEP's 2010-11 project call, and will continue to liaise with them on future priorities and funding for REEEP.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  whether he plans to put in place transitional arrangements for low-carbon projects intending to participate in the feed-in tariff with Contracts for Difference scheme that require a final investment decision before the scheme is implemented;
	(2)  whether he plans to put in place transitional arrangements for new nuclear projects that require final investment decisions ahead of implementation of the Feed in Tariff with Contracts for Difference;

Gregory Barker: In order to ensure the continuity of all low-carbon development, the Government are working with relevant parties to enable early investment decisions to progress to timetable wherever possible, including those required ahead of implementation of the feed in tariff contract for difference. Full details of the EMR transition, including the transition from the renewables obligation (RO) to the Contracts for Difference scheme, can be found in chapter 8 and annex D of the White Paper, “Securing Our Electric Future”.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of the annual Renewable Heat Incentive budget for dedicated biomass combined heat and power generation projects (a) under 200 kilowatt thermal, (b) between 200 and 1,000 kilowatt thermal and (c) over 1,000 kilowatt thermal in 2014-15.

Gregory Barker: Analysis undertaken for the Renewable heat incentive (RHI) impact assessment (published March 2011) suggests around £7 million of spending on biomass combined heat and power (CHP) in 2014 based on a 2.5p/kWh tariff. Our modelling assumes that biomass CHP projects will only come forward above 1,000 kilowatt thermal and are incentivised by the renewables obligation until 2013 and by the RHI between 2014-20. However, actual uptake is uncertain so some smaller projects may nevertheless come forward under the RHI. Our estimates will be subject to further analysis and updated in the light of the proposals in the forthcoming consultation on the banding review of the renewables obligation.

Renewable Energy: Research

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what changes his Department has made in the funding of research and development for renewable energy programmes in financial year 2011-12; whether he has any plans to change the priorities for funding for renewable energy programmes for financial year 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: In order to target support for low carbon technologies, a series of Technology Innovation Needs Assessments (TINAs) have been undertaken to provide a robust evidence base on the innovation needs of the technology families most likely to be important in achieving our energy and climate targets.
	Drawing on TINAs and other evidence, the Department is reviewing the needs of a range of innovative technologies and is developing four-year programme plans, in conjunction with others. This summer, the Department announced that it would set aside up to £30 million of its innovation budget over the next four years to support innovation in offshore wind, and up to £20 million to support marine energy. Subject to satisfactory value for money assessments, these schemes will be launched this autumn. Announcements on further allocations are expected to follow later this year.

Shell: North Sea

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the oil leak from Shell's Gannet Alpha platform; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: It is estimated that approximately 218 tonnes (1,300 barrels) of oil were released as a result of the incident at the Gannet F subsea development, all of which dispersed naturally.
	There has been no evidence of any significant environmental impact to date resulting from this release:
	Aerial surveillance was undertaken by Marine Scotland, which confirmed that there were very few birds in the vicinity of the oil release. This was supported by additional vessel-based seabird observations.
	Samples of fish, sea water and sediment were also collected by Marine Scotland. A Taste Panel confirmed that the fish samples had not been tainted by the release. Chemical analyses are being undertaken to confirm there has been no significant contamination of fish, seawater or sediment samples.
	Regular visual reports received from the area confirmed that no wildlife casualties had been observed.
	The leak was stopped on 19 August and my officials are now involved in carrying out a thorough joint investigation with the HSE not only to determine the cause of the incident but to learn the lessons from it. The investigation, which is likely to take a number of months, will focus on all aspects of the incident including any underlying factors which may have contributed. A full report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal in Aberdeen to consider whether further action is appropriate.

United Nations Climate Change Conference

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials from his Department he expects to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban.

Gregory Barker: The UK delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban is yet to be finalised. The final delegation size will seek to strike the right balance between ensuring the UK's effectiveness in the negotiations while minimising the cost and carbon footprint, but will be significantly smaller than the UK delegation to the Conference of Parties in 2009.

DEFENCE

British Sky Broadcasting

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on subscriptions to Sky TV since May 2010.

Andrew Robathan: In the 14 months for which data are available since May 2010, payments for the whole range of services in the UK provided by British Sky Broadcasting Ltd have totalled some £285,000. The majority of this expenditure was incurred to provide our ships with Sky TV while in UK waters or docked in certain UK ports as part of the welfare entitlement of our sailors, who would not otherwise be able to arrange such services.
	Action has been taken to reduce payments for Sky TV, and they are expected to reduce by some £120,000 per year.

Children: Armed Forces

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on private or independent education of children of serving military or defence personnel in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: Payments may be paid to Service personnel, and Ministry of Defence (MOD) civilian employees appointed overseas, to allow their children to achieve a stable education. These are made via Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) for Service personnel, and School Allowance (SA) for civilians. Limits apply in respect of the amount that can be claimed and all claims are subject to a parental minimum contribution of 10%. Changes to the regulations governing CEA came into effect on 1 April 2011. Amounts payable were not reduced, but changes to the eligibility rules and the governance of claims will reduce the Department's spend. These changes are expected to have an impact in Financial Year 2011-20.
	Details of CEA costs before FY 2007-08 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Elements of CEA are subject to a PAYE Settlement Agreement with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for tax purposes. Therefore, in addition to the money paid to individuals, the MOD also makes payments to HMRC for tax and National Insurance (NI) for the grossing up of the allowance.
	
		
			 CEA payments to armed forces personnel 
			 Financial Year (£ million) 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 CEA 101.8 108.1 111.3 114.9 
			 Tax and NI 60.3 64.7 65.6 (1)n/a 
			 Total 162.2 172.8 176.9 n/a 
			 (1) Tax and NI figures are not yet available for Financial Year 2010-11. 
		
	
	
		
			 SA payments to MOD civilian staff 
			 Financial Year £ million 
			 2006-07 1.24 
			 2007-08 1.08 
			 2008-09 0.97 
			 2009-10 0.98 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 0.92 
		
	
	As MOD civilian employees pay for school tuition fees directly in the first instance and these fees are later reimbursed, there is no tax and NI liability.
	Both totals include payments to independent sector schools, local authority boarding schools and further education colleges. Spend by educational institution type could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Government grant to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has no plans to change the long standing arrangement whereby the United Kingdom funds 78% of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission costs, which is proportionate to the number of war casualties the United Kingdom sustained during what are considered the war years. This year's United Kingdom funding is in excess of £44 million.
	We remain committed to ensuring that those who died during the two World Wars, and the men and women who have died while serving in HM armed forces in subsequent years, continue to be commemorated with the same honour and dignity as hitherto and which they so richly deserve.

Conditions of Employment

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings officials of his Department have had with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on the Government's employment law review since May 2011.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence does not have responsibility for employment-related legislation. However, in common with partners across Government, we have been consulted throughout on the proposals for the Employment Law review.

Defence Equipment and Support: Location

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans he has to consult staff affected by the proposal to relocate Defence Equipment and Support posts from Glasgow to Bristol;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to undertake consultation in accordance with the policy of 1 October 2007 on employee relations in relation to the proposed relocation of Defence Equipment and Support staff from Glasgow to Bristol;
	(3)  whether his Department has any plans to meet representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union to discuss proposals to relocate Defence and Equipment and Support posts from Glasgow to Bristol;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the value for money of relocating Defence Equipment and Support posts from Glasgow to Bristol.

Andrew Robathan: A review is being undertaken to consider the possible transfer of some Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) posts that are currently based in Kentigern House, Glasgow, to the DE&S headquarters in Abbey Wood, Bristol.
	This work is at a very early stage, and no decisions have yet been made. Staff in Kentigern House and the trades unions have been advised that the review has been initiated; the work is due to be completed in the autumn.
	Staff will continue to be involved in and informed of the work as it progresses. This will include formal trades union consultation as appropriate.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1139W, on departmental carbon emissions, whether the sources of low-carbon energy generation on its estate were manufactured in the UK.

Andrew Robathan: Information on the country of manufacture of low-carbon energy technology is not held.

Departmental Official Cars

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used to determine eligibility for the use of official cars in his Department.

Andrew Robathan: Eligibility for a staff car is currently dependent upon the nature of the duties of an appointment, and it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s top level budget holders to identify and justify which appointments have such eligibility. For officers and civil servants holding equivalent military rank, eligibility is generally linked to command status, but certain officers holding key staff appointments may also be eligible. This policy applies across the MOD and its agencies, including the trading funds, and their chief executives.
	We are, however, reviewing departmental policy on the provision of staff cars, taking account of the need to demonstrate value for money, provide maximum flexibility and meet our sustainable development commitments.
	The Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, has already led to changes in the circumstances in which Ministers would be entitled to a car and driver. In the MOD, these cost-saving changes have meant that the junior Defence Ministers have given up their cars with a dedicated driver and now share a central MOD car pool with senior military officers and officials working in Main Building.
	Staff cars are an extension of the office and give Ministers and our most senior military and civilian staff a more private space to work in than public transport, so they can make best use of the time they spend travelling, with appropriate security.

Departmental Official Cars

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on travel by ministerial car for each Minister in his Department in the last 12 months.

Liam Fox: A breakdown by individual Minister of the cost of using an official car is not available. However, the Ministerial Code, published on 21 May 2010, reduced ministerial entitlement to a car and driver, and thus costs, when compared to the last Government.
	To reduce costs, the junior Defence Ministers have given up their cars with a dedicated driver and now share pool cars with senior military officers and officials working in Main Building. I am driven and protected by the Metropolitan Police.
	The Ministry of Defence incurred £171,041 on the use of official cars by all Defence Ministers in financial year 2010-11.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost to date of the military operation by UK forces in Libya for the purposes of implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

Liam Fox: As I announced on 23 June 2011, Official Report, column 24WS, the current estimate of the net additional costs of military operations for six months, from mid-March, in support of Operation Ellamy—the United Kingdom's contribution to coalition operations in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973—is in the region of £120 million. This excludes costs associated with capital munitions expended.
	Based upon current consumption rates we estimate the cost of replenishing munitions may be up to £140 million. The Treasury has agreed to meet these costs from the Reserve.

Radar

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he is making for the continuation of radar coverage following the closure of RAF Leuchars.

Nick Harvey: There is a Watchman Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar at RAF Leuchars. The drawdown of Leuchars, as an operational RAF airbase, does not necessitate the removal of the Watchman radar from that site. Detailed decisions on the requirement to continue ATC radar services at RAF Leuchars, in light of the planned drawdown of the Typhoon force at the station, have yet to be taken.

Redundancy

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken on employment opportunities for people leaving his Department under its redundancy programme.

Andrew Robathan: For armed forces personnel prior to discharge, individual employment needs are identified from a mandatory interview with a trained service resettlement adviser, who is able to signpost to a number of organisations and services, ranging from the 'Flexible New Deal' programme available at Jobcentre Plus through to workshops and training delivered through the Career Transition Partnership. For those who have left, lifetime job finding support is available through the Officers' Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association.
	In addition, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions. Armed forces champions have been appointed that aim to ensure Jobcentre Plus staff are providing the correct advice and support, not only to families of our armed forces but also to former service personnel.
	For those civil servants who are leaving on redundancy or early release, the MOD offers an outplacement support programme. Among other services, this provides support and guidance on finding and securing alternative employment.
	Furthermore, this support will be enhanced by giving those leaving access to the talent retention system, the new national web-based job vacancy system which is being set up under the initiative announced by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

United Kingdom Hydrographic Office

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff at the (a) Met Office and (b) Hydrographic Office earned more than £100,000 on the latest date for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: Details of the remuneration of the most senior employees of both Trading Funds are disclosed in their Annual Reports and Accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Atos Healthcare: Doctors

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with the General Medical Council on the conduct of doctors employed by Atos Healthcare.

Chris Grayling: DWP has had no discussions with the General Medical Council on the conduct of doctors employed by Atos Healthcare as this is the responsibility of the doctor's employer. It would therefore be inappropriate for the Department to have direct discussions with the GMC regarding individuals.

Atos Healthcare: Manpower

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with Atos Healthcare on the investigation by the General Medical Council of staff it employs.

Chris Grayling: The DWP Chief Medical Adviser routinely discusses with Atos the suitability of continued employment of doctors who are under investigation by the General Medical Council when either party has concerns about this. The DWP contract requires Atos to discuss with the Chief Medical Adviser those doctors who have conditions applied by the General Medical Council pending investigation because of concerns about professional misconduct.

Disability Living Allowance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with disabled people on reform of the disability living allowance.

Maria Miller: Throughout the development of the new personal independence payment, which will replace disability living allowance, we have had extensive discussions and consultation with disabled people, their families and organisations representing them.
	We have just completed our informal consultation on the draft assessment criteria. Ministers and departmental officials have between them met with and sought views from around 60 organisations of and for disabled people. In addition, we have received over 160 written responses from disabled people and their organisations on how well the initial draft criteria worked and if they could be improved. We are looking closely at the contributions we have received and intend to publish another draft of the assessment criteria in the autumn.
	We will continue to work closely with disabled people and their organisations as the detail of the assessment criteria and its operation is developed and tested.

Disability Living Allowance

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many migrants from Eastern Europe in receipt of disability living allowance had (a) made national insurance contributions and (b) not previously made national insurance contributions in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: Disability living allowance is a benefit for children and adults paid as a contribution towards the extra costs of disability, depending on the extent of a persons care and/or mobility needs
	Disability living allowance is a non-contributory benefit. As national insurance contributions are not required to claim disability living allowance, information regarding a claimant's record of national insurance contributions is not gathered.
	Although nationality data are collected on claim forms, this is not collated as it is not required for the administration of the benefit.

Incapacity Benefit

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on health interventions and programmes to reduce the number of claimants of incapacity benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: There have been no discussions with ministerial colleagues in the Scottish Government on this specific issue although our Departments work closely together on the Government's plans for welfare reform.
	The Department for Work and Pensions has an effective working relationship with officials in the devolved Administrations, including those in Scotland, and ensures that there are many opportunities to discuss issues and concerns in detail.
	All those moving to employment and support allowance or jobseeker's allowance as a result of the incapacity benefit reassessment will be able to access the Work programme at an early stage of their claim. Work programme providers are free to innovate and design support that addresses the needs of individuals. They will be paid primarily for the results they achieve in supporting people into sustained employment, and they will be paid more to support people who are further from the labour market.
	In addition, Work Choice, launched last October, provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment find and stay in work (including self-employment) and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment, where it is appropriate for the individual. Work Choice is voluntary and available regardless of any benefits being claimed.

Incapacity Benefit

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of individuals who have been on incapacity benefit and recently reassessed in Scotland have been (a) placed in the support group, (b) placed in the work-related activity group and (c) transferred to jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department's Management Information indicates that since October 2010, around 7,300 incapacity benefits claimants in Scotland have been through the work capability assessment part of the incapacity benefits reassessment process. This includes those involved in the incapacity benefits reassessment trial, and those assessed face-to-face, cases assessed on paper scrutiny and therefore not requiring a face-to-face work capability assessment, and those that have had a recommendation based on their non-compliance with the assessment process.
	However, information on the entire incapacity benefits reassessment process including the final outcomes and subsequent destinations of claimants being reassessed is not yet available at any geographical level. Data are being collected, but it will take time to complete because of the overall length of the reassessment process. The Department will publish data on the outcomes of the reassessment process, but only once it has been quality assured and is considered robust.

Independent Living Fund

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ensure that no reductions are made in Independent Living Fund payments.

Maria Miller: As set out in my written ministerial statement on 13 December 2010, Official Report, 85-86WS, the Government are committed to safeguarding the position of the existing recipients of Independent Living Fund for the duration of this Parliament.

Jobcentre Plus

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase the use of digital media and communication by Jobcentre Plus; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department is fully committed to delivering more of its services online and has a target of delivering 80% of jobseekers allowance claims online. We are actively looking at how to extend and improve these services.
	Currently it is possible to search for jobs, check potential entitlement for working age benefits, and to make a claim to jobseeker's allowance online through Directgov.
	From 2012 working age benefit claimants will be able to register, via the Government Gateway, for a secure customer account which they can access through Directgov. This account will improve the online claim service for jobseeker's allowance and enable claimants of the main working age benefits to track their claim and payments and to notify some changes online. Some of these services will be available later this year to a limited number of jobseeker's allowance claimants by invitation.
	In the future as we modernise our online vacancy posting service and jobsearch functionality we would also expect that claimants and non-claimants would be able to register online, search for vacancies and receive notifications of suitable vacancies through the customer account.

Jobcentre Plus: Internet

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Jobcentre Plus staff have access to social networking sites that are intended to assist with job searches; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department recognises that social media is a valuable tool for engaging with jobseekers and partners. All staff have access to Linkedin and Twitter for business use, and the Department does actively use social networking to communicate with customers, for example through the ‘Job Coach’ on Linkedin aimed at unemployed professionals.
	Access to some internet sites from departmental computers is restricted or blocked. This includes Facebook. However, access has been provided to staff in communications roles where their roles involve use of social media. We are also considering wider use of social networking by Jobcentre Plus staff.
	While Jobcentre Plus staff do provide support for claimants looking for work, claimants are also required to use all appropriate jobsearch techniques and resources independently.

Jobcentre Plus: Telephones

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of any profit made by his Department through use of 0845 numbers to call Jobcentre Plus in respect of each number provider in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not receive any revenue through the use of 0845 telephone numbers.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Social Workers

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many care workers are claiming jobseeker's allowance.

Chris Grayling: Although the Department can provide information on the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants who are doing some part-time work for less than 16 hours a week, the type of occupation they are undertaking is not available.
	However extensive statistics on jobseeker's allowance claimants are published on the Nomis website at
	https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/Default.asp
	These include breakdowns of case loads and flows by occupation (both usual and sought). Occupation is categorised according to the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification, so, the number of JSA claimants whose usual occupation is in the group Caring Personal Service Occupations, in Great Britain, as at July 2011, is 72,450. The number seeking a job in Caring Personal Service Occupations in Great Britain at July 2011 is 73,205.

Pensions

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) monetary value of final salary pension schemes in the UK in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2011.

Steve Webb: Comparable data for the numbers of pension schemes are only available since March 2006. The numbers of active members of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in 1995 and in 2009 are given at the end of this response.
	Data earlier than 2006 are unavailable as aggregate statistics on private sector pension schemes have only been routinely collated following the launch of the statutory corporation—the Pension Protection Fund (PPF)—in April 2005.
	Estimates are for DB schemes (or DB elements of hybrid schemes) in the UK, which are eligible for PPF protection.
	These DB schemes include final salary schemes and others whose accruals are based on a career average or other average terms. According to the Occupational Pension Schemes Survey (OPSS), in 2009, 23% of private sector DB schemes were based on a career average.
	(a) (i) According to the Purple Book 2010, there were 7,751 such DB schemes in the UK in March 2006.
	(a) (ii) According to the PPF7800 Index, there were 6,533 such DB schemes in the UK in July 2011.
	(b) (i) The aggregate balance of these schemes on a s179 basis in March 2006 was—£22.7 billion. This balance represented assets of £769.5 billion, and s179 liabilities of £792.2 billion.
	(b) (ii) The aggregate balance of these schemes on a s179 basis in July 2011 was—£67.3 billion. This balance represented assets of £1,001.4 billion, and s179 liabilities of £1,068.7 billion.
	A scheme's s179 liabilities represent the premium that would have to be paid to an insurance company to take on the payment of PPF levels of compensation. This compensation may be lower than full scheme benefits.
	It should also be noted that estimates are volatile with equity markets and gilt yields being the main drivers of funding levels.
	Membership of pension schemes from ONS' Occupational Pension Scheme Survey are given as follows.
	In 1995, there were 4.1 million active members of DB pension schemes in the public sector. In 2009 there were 5.4 million active members of such schemes.
	In 1995, there were 5.2 million active members of DB pension schemes in the private sector. In 2009 there were 2.4 million active members of such schemes.

Social Security Benefits: Students

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many higher education students have suspended their studies due to illness or incapacity in each of the last five years; and in how many such cases the allowance or benefit awarded on the first application was (a) applied for and (b) awarded (i) employment and support allowance and (ii) disability living allowance in that period.

Chris Grayling: Details of the number of higher education students who have suspended their studies is a matter for the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable).
	The Department for Work and Pensions does not keep records of the number of applications or awards for benefit for higher education students who have suspended their studies due to illness or incapacity.

Telephone Services

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Southport of 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 487, on 0845 telephone numbers, what the terms of reference are of his Department's internal review of the use of 0845 numbers and the other options available; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uses both 0800 and 0845 telephone numbers. 0845 numbers carry a cost to members of the public, however a call-back is offered when they express a concern about the cost of the call.
	A review of the use of these numbers has recently been carried out. Its terms of reference were to consider whether the Department could stop using 0845 numbers with the objective that all calls from members of the public to DWP be free.
	A number of options were presented, and their feasibility is currently being considered. While this consideration is underway, DWP will continue to provide 0800 ‘free call’ numbers for benefit claim lines and 0845 numbers for other calls.
	The options presented were:
	Option (i): Replacing 0845 numbers with 0800 numbers. This would provide free calls but at significant cost to DWP due to the additional charges associated with 0800 numbers.
	Option (ii): Migrate 0845 numbers now to the 03 range reflecting Ofcom's suggestion for chargeable calls to public services to be at a single national rate.
	Option (iii): Retain existing 0845 numbers until Ofcom's final report on numbering in 2012.

Unemployment: Young People

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the level of youth unemployment in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Coventry local authority area in each of the last 12 months.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated September 2011
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the level of youth unemployment in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Coventry local authority area in each of the last 12 months. (070346)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	However, estimates of unemployment of 16 to 24 years resident in the Coventry local authority area are not available. As an alternative in Table 1, we have provided the number of people aged 16 to 24 years who have been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) resident in England, the West Midlands and Coventry for each of the last 12 months.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and JSA count are available on the Nomis website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of persons aged 16-24 claiming jobseeker’s allowance resident in England, the West Midlands and Coventry 
			  England West Midlands Coventry 
			 August 2010 340,095 46,900 2,860 
			 September 2010 344,855 47,775 2,860 
			 October 2010 337,500 46,455 2,805 
			 November 2010 329,275 45,490 2,695 
			 December 2010 324,390 45,140 2,700 
			 January 2011 340,415 47,480 2,835 
			 February 2011 358,765 49,050 2,935 
			 March 2011 355,095 48,680 3,030 
			 April 2011 350,980 48,310 3,000 
			 May 2011 341,710 47,190 2,905 
			 June 2011 336,905 46,595 2,875 
			 July 2011 366,765 50,450 3,150 
			 Note: Figures rounded to nearest five. Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative sources

Universal Credit

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what consideration he has given to the provision of welfare waivers for people starting their own businesses using micro-credit; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the provision of welfare waivers for people starting their own business using micro-credit; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Secretary of State had a meeting on the 13 July with representatives of the Grameen Scotland Foundation at which a proposal to introduce the ‘UK Enterprise from Welfare Transition Scheme’ to help people into self-employment was discussed. Part of the proposal was to waive or disregard micro finance and the income generated during participation on the scheme across the current benefit system for the first two years of participation.
	While the Government welcome initiatives to improve the take up of self-employment as a route out of benefit dependency, it has no plans to introduce specific disregards for this proposal.
	However, we are clear that more needs to be done to encourage and help unemployed people to see self employment as a viable route off benefits and into financial independence. We have therefore introduced the new enterprise allowance (NEA). The NEA provides mentoring and financial support in the form of a weekly allowance and small loan.
	The NEA is just one element in our wide ranging programme of welfare reform, a major part of which is universal credit and the introduction of the Work programme, both of which will provide more flexible ways of supporting people into sustained work including self-employment.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to publish an estimate of how many staff will be required for the administration of universal credit.

Chris Grayling: The Welfare Reform White Paper sets out that the Department for Work and Pensions will be responsible for organising the delivery of universal credit. Universal credit is expected to be introduced in October 2013.
	It is still too early to say how many staff will be required to administer universal credit. We are continuing to work with colleagues in HM Revenue and Customs, and local authorities, to test new ways of working and consider how, in the longer term, we can build on the best capabilities of current organisations to provide a consistently excellent service to claimants and ensure value for money.
	Detailed plans will inform the introduction of universal credit in 2013.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether new applications for out-of-work support will be treated as claims for universal credit from October 2013 and for in-work support from April 2014.

Chris Grayling: The timescales the right hon. Member for East Ham refers to reflect the provisional timetable discussed in the White Paper, Universal credit, Welfare that works. These dates remain the Department's planning assumptions.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will announce his plans for supporting the costs of child care in universal credit.

Chris Grayling: The Government have made a clear commitment to provide support for child care costs as an additional element within universal credit.
	During the Commons stage of the Welfare Reform Bill, we held productive discussions with MPs, peers and stakeholder groups, and are considering the advice and suggestions raised in those. We have promised to return to the House with more information when it is ready.
	We will provide information as soon as possible, as child care plays an important part in the work decisions of those who have responsibility for children and therefore we are determined to take the time to get this right.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether local authorities will be compensated for any penalty charges they incur from the early termination of contracts for the administration of housing benefit when housing benefit is replaced by universal credit.

Steve Webb: My officials continue to work with colleagues in local authorities to assess the impact of introducing universal credit. This work includes the implications for local authorities' existing service contracts and deciding the appropriate action to take.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to announce how many staff will transfer from local authorities to his Department on the merger of housing benefit into universal credit.

Chris Grayling: The Welfare Reform White Paper sets out that the Department for Work and Pensions will be responsible for organising the delivery of universal credit. It also states that we will continue to pay housing benefit to working age customers until we can migrate them successfully on to universal credit, currently expected to be by October 2017. We are working on the precise details of how the transition will work, and the effects on housing benefits staff. This approach will ensure an orderly transition and that we have people with relevant skills and experience to support claimants both in work and out of work, as they migrate to the new credit.
	We will continue to work with colleagues in HM Revenue and Customs and local authorities to test new ways of working and consider how, in the longer term, we can build on the best capabilities of current organisations to provide a consistently excellent service to claimants and ensure value for money.
	It is still too early to say how many staff and what skills and experience will be required for universal credit. The impact on local authority staff will be affected by the design of the council tax benefit replacement, and decisions about the delivery model for universal credit.
	We expect to make an announcement on the delivery model for universal credit this autumn.

Universal Credit: Poverty

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what modelling his Department has undertaken into the effect on rates of (a) poverty and (b) child poverty of the universal credit following its full introduction at each level of take-up; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The estimate of numbers lifted out of poverty as a result of universal credit are based on an assessment of the impact of universal credit using DWP's Policy Simulation Model. This model uses data from the 2008-09 Family Resources Survey (FRS) and uprates incomes and demographics to the relevant year using projections from the Office for Budget Responsibility. The model is able to assess entitlement to universal credit, because of the wide range of personal characteristics reported to the FRS by respondents.
	Our best estimate of the impact of take up is included in the modelling, it is assumed that those currently taking up some, but not all of their benefit entitlements will take up in full under universal credit; and of those taking up none of their current entitlement, around half will do so under the new system.
	The combined impact of entitlement changes and increased take up leads to approximately:
	(a) 950,000 individuals being lifted out of poverty
	(b) 350,000 children being lifted out of poverty

Universal Credit: Telephones

Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of staff required to handle customer queries by telephone from universal credit claimants once the new system is introduced.

Chris Grayling: The Welfare Reform White Paper sets out that the Department for Work and Pensions will be responsible for organising the delivery of universal credit. Universal credit is expected to be introduced in October 2013, and individuals will be migrated to universal credit over the subsequent four years.
	We are continuing to work with colleagues in HM Revenue and Customs, and local authorities, to test new ways of working and consider how, in the longer term, we can build on the best capabilities of current organisations to provide a consistently excellent service to claimants and ensure value for money.
	It is still too early to say how many staff will be required to handle telephone customer queries during the transition period and in the longer term. Detailed plans will inform the introduction of universal credit in 2013.

Universal Credit: Telephones

Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of staff of his Department and its agencies who are engaged in telephone handling of customer queries in respect of each of the benefits to be replaced by universal credit.

Chris Grayling: In preparation for the launch of universal credit the DWP is reviewing its current telephone handling processes. We are also continuing to work with colleagues in HM Revenue and Customs, and local authorities, to test new ways of working and consider how, in the longer term, we can build on the best capabilities of current organisations to provide a consistently excellent service to claimants and ensure value for money.
	It is still too early to say how many staff will be required to handle telephone customer queries during the transition period and in the longer term. Detailed plans will inform the introduction of universal credit in 2013.

Work Capability Assessment: Atos Healthcare

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether staff employed by Atos Healthcare who are under investigation by the General Medical Council may continue to carry out work capability assessments whilst being investigated.

Chris Grayling: Where the allegations relate to professional misconduct, Atos will routinely stop the doctor from carrying out work capability assessments. For allegations of a less serious nature the decision is made on a case by case basis.

Work Capability Assessment: Atos Healthcare

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the suitability of Atos Healthcare to conduct the work capability assessment programme.

Maria Miller: The suitability of Atos Healthcare to conduct work capability assessments was assessed during the contract extension process in 2010. The continued suitability of Atos Healthcare to perform the assessments is reviewed regularly and performance monitored at least monthly.

Work Capability Assessment: Illnesses

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 19 July 2011, Official Report, column 856W, on work capability assessment: illnesses, whether there are circumstances in which those in receipt of incapacity benefit who have a terminal illness may be sent an ESA50 form to complete as part of the migration process to employment and support allowance.

Chris Grayling: Individuals who are diagnosed with a progressive disease, where death is a likely consequence of that disease and where this is reasonably expected within six months, will be treated as having limited capability for work and limited capability for work related activity. At any point in the incapacity benefits reassessment process, where there is sufficient evidence that an individual is terminally ill as defined, they will placed in the support group and no further related information requested. However, cases are dealt with on a case by case basis, dependant on available evidence, and so a guarantee cannot be provided that an ESA50 will not be sent to the claimant in every case where insufficient information is available.
	It should also be noted that existing incapacity benefits (IB) claimants will have already been in receipt of benefit for a period in excess of two years and as such, unless their circumstances have changed during that time, are unlikely to be subject to the provision covering terminal illness within employment and support allowance.

HEALTH

Abortion: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women aged (a) 15 to 24 and (b) 25 years and over normally resident in the Peterborough Primary Care Trust area have undergone (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three and (iv) four or more terminations of pregnancy since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of previous abortions to women resident in Peterborough primary care trust (PCT)  (1)   2002-10 
			  Age under 25 Age 25 and over  
			  0 1 2 3+ Total age under 25 0 1 2 3 4+ Total age 25 and over Total all ages 
			 2002 238 — — — 294 189 82 — — — 299 593 
			 2003 251 — — — 315 204 79 — — — 308 623 
			 2004 268 — — — 319 243 58 — — — 325 644 
			 2005 275 42 — — 332 240 75 — — — 337 669 
			 2006 286 — — — 362 199 103 21 — — 333 695 
			 2007 277 51 — — 341 231 108 — — — 370 711 
			 2008 269 — — — 340 204 120 — — — 352 692 
			 2009 301 — — — 373 219 83 — — — 322 695 
			 2010 282 — — — 363 235 115 — — — 391 754 
			 Total 2002-10 2,447 517 59 16 3,039 1,964 823 200 32 18 3,037 6,076 
			 ‘—’ Suppressed value less than 10 (between 0 and 9) in line with Office for National Statistics guidance on the release of abortion statistics, 2005. (1) Peterborough PCT is used for years 2006-10. Between 2002 and 2005 Peterborough was covered by North Peterborough and South Peterborough PCTs. Prior to 2002 there are no boundary data relating specifically to Peterborough.

Air Ambulance Services

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of (a) the quality of air ambulance service provision in England and (b) the value for money provided by such air ambulance services.

Simon Burns: Between 2001 and 2003, the Department commissioned the university of Sheffield to conduct a survey of air ambulance service provision in the United Kingdom, and review the published evidence on the costs and benefits.
	It found that the main benefit of air ambulances is for serious blunt trauma patients, particularly those injured in road traffic accidents with severe injuries. If an air ambulance responded to four or more of these patients per year, it could be seen as cost effective in terms of quality adjusted life years.
	However, there was not enough reliable evidence, relevant to England, to judge whether there is any benefit in any other groups of patients, and the targeting of helicopters to serious blunt trauma patients was deemed to be poor. Therefore the large number of non-blunt trauma cases attended by air ambulances currently reduces cost effectiveness overall.

Cancer: Drugs

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been prescribed cancer drugs since the introduction of the Cancer Drugs Fund who would not otherwise have received such drugs in each strategic health authority area since 5 May 2010.

Simon Burns: The Cancer Drugs Fund was launched on 1 April 2011. Over three years, the fund is providing £200 million a year to help thousands of cancer patients access the drugs their clinicians believe will help them. As an interim measure, an additional £50 million was made available to strategic health authorities (SHAs) in 2010-11 to support improved access to cancer drugs. Since October 2010, this funding has so far helped over 5,000 cancer patients in England to access the cancer drugs their clinicians recommended.
	A final breakdown of SHA activity for 2010-11 is being confirmed and a copy will be placed in the Library when this information is available.

Cannabis: Mental Illness

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged (a) under 18, (b) between 18 and 24, (c) between 24 and 30 and (d) 30 and above were admitted to hospital for mental illnesses attributable to the use of cannabis or skunk cannabis in (i) England, (ii) the North West and (iii) St Helens in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: Data on the numbers of people admitted to hospital with mental and behavioural disorders due to the use of cannabis is available from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). The following tables provide information on the Finished Admission Episodes with a Primary Diagnosis of Mental and Behavioural Disorders due to use of Cannabinoids (ICD10 code F12) in England and the North West by age groups (a) under 18, (b) 18-23, (c) 24-29 and (d) 30 and above. HES analysis has established that no people were admitted to hospital for mental and behavioural disorders attributable to the use of cannabis or skunk cannabis in St Helen's primary care trust therefore no data has been provided for this local area.
	
		
			 All England 
			  Age group  
			  Under 18 18 to under 24 24 to under 30 30 and above Age not known Total 
			 2000-01 69 192 126 194 — 581 
			 2001-02 117 205 134 217 1 674 
			 2002-03 86 245 142 231 — 704 
			 2003-04 140 294 175 281 — 890 
			 2004-05 116 283 210 259 — 868 
			 2005-06 128 300 224 293 1 946 
			 2006-07 92 218 175 251 14 750 
			 2007-08 93 235 131 276 — 735 
			 2008-09 71 197 163 219 1 651 
			 2009-10 93 237 155 225 3 713 
		
	
	
		
			 Q31 North West strategic health authority 
			  Age group  
			  Under 18 18 to under 24 24 to under 30 30 and above Total 
			 2000-01 14 11 9 13 47 
			 2001-02 13 25 15 18 71 
			 2002-03 12 31 14 33 90 
			 2003-04 26 39 25 38 128 
			 2004-05 23 31 29 27 110 
			 2005-06 27 43 32 38 140 
			 2006-07 13 32 21 35 101 
			 2007-08 15 34 15 37 101 
			 2008-09 18 36 29 45 128 
			 2009-10 23 56 31 42 152 
			 Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Departmental Data Protection

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on what occasions security breaches relating to official material stored on equipment owned by his Department's officials have been identified in each of the last five years;
	(2)  on what occasions security breaches of his Department's IT system caused by (a) loss of mobile devices provided by his Department, (b) loss of personal mobile devices owned by officials and used for Departmental business, (c) loss of laptops provided by his Department, (d) loss of personal laptops owned by officials and used for Departmental business and (e) malicious attacks on his Department's IT systems have been identified in each of the last five years;
	(3)  what security guidance he has issued to officials of his Department on the use of (a) mobile devices, (b) laptops and (c) e-mail accounts, (d) other IT equipment which are not supported by his Department's IT systems;
	(4)  what security guidance he has issued to officials of his Department on the use of (a) mobile devices and (b) laptops which have been provided for official use by his Department.

Simon Burns: In the last five years no instances have been identified of security breaches relating to official material stored on equipment owned by departmental officials, or of security breaches caused by:
	(a) loss of mobile devices provided by the Department,
	(b) loss of personal mobile devices owned by officials and used for departmental business,
	(c) loss of laptops provided by the Department,
	(d) loss of personal laptops owned by officials and used for departmental business,
	(e) malicious attacks on the Department's IT systems.
	The Department's Acceptable Use of ICT Policy states what staff are permitted and not permitted to do when using officially provided IT equipment, and is the foundation of security guidance to staff. The policy includes guidance on the use of email, including advice that staff should not use home or web-based personal email accounts for official business, and restrictions on sending sensitive or protectively marked messages to external email addresses. Complementary guidance (based on the website Get Safe online) includes information on how to protect home computers, personal mobile telephones and other devices. The Department has also issued specific guidance around the risks of mobile phone hacking.
	Further security guidance is available on home working, use of departmental mobile devices, looking after portable equipment, and home computer protection.

Departmental Procurement

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what methodology (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible used to estimate savings to the public purse made in respect of its procurement and purchasing since May 2010.

Simon Burns: For value for money savings realised through procurement activity recorded in 2009-10 and 2010-11, the Department has used a methodology based on guidance issued to Departments by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). Using this, the Department has, since April 2009, tracked and reported savings, ensuring that firm evidence is in place to show when contracts are let at a lower cost than the baseline.
	In addition, the Department has also realised savings as a result of procuring its non-pay spend through framework arrangements and contracts set up by the Buying Solutions organisation (now the Government Procurement Service) and the Central Office of Information (for marketing, advertising and communications spend). These organisations use their own methodologies to report the savings realised for each Department. Details of those savings methodologies can be obtained from the Government Procurement Service and the Central Office of Information direct.
	The Department does not currently collect information on the methodology used to estimate procurement savings through its non-departmental public bodies.

Disability: Children

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to improving respite care for parents of disabled children.

Sarah Teather: I have been asked to reply.
	This Government have committed more than £800 million to support local authorities to deliver short breaks services over the current spending review period.
	From April of this year all local authorities were required to deliver a range of short breaks services and to publish a statement to parents about the full service range and how services can be accessed. It is our intention that greater transparency about availability of services will drive improvements.
	Local authorities will continue to receive practical support to deliver short breaks services through a Department for Education grant with an external organisation. The Department is in the process of recruiting a partner organisation to take on that role.
	The Department for Education will continue to fund parent carer forums for the parents and carers of disabled children, which have access to support and training which enables them to better work with local authorities to design services that meet their needs.

Doctors: Communication Skills

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether practising doctors are required to undertake in-career training in communication skills.

Anne Milton: It is the responsibility of individual doctors and their employers to consider their continuing professional development needs.
	In 2004 the General Medical Council (GMC) published its guidance “Continuing Professional Development” which aimed to make explicit for the first time the ways in which doctors might identify their learning needs and fulfil their professional obligation to keep up to date.
	The GMC's “Education Strategy 2011-13” includes a commitment to review its role in relation to doctors' continuing professional development (CPD). The review is being taken forward by a small working group which brings together the GMC and key interest groups, including the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, employers, postgraduate deaneries and others. One of the outcomes of this review will be a revised edition of their CPD guidance.
	Continuing professional development is one of the proposed elements for the revalidation of doctors, which is currently being developed.

Eyesight: Testing

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of free eye tests for people with certain conditions; what plans he has for the future (a) qualifying criteria and (b) provision of free eye tests; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: Free national health service sight tests are available to people diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma.
	Free NHS sight tests are also available to priority groups including children, people aged 60 and over, people on low incomes and defined categories of people at particular risk of developing eye disease.
	There are currently no plans to change eligibility to free NHS sight tests.

General Practitioners

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of GP surgeries which have discontinued evening surgeries in (a) England and (b) Manchester in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally.

Government Procurement Card

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Government Procurement Cards were used by staff of his Department between (a) May 2006 and June 2007 and (b) June 2009 and May 2010; and what the (i) name of the supplier, (ii) date and (iii) value was of each transaction during this period.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Hereford and South Herefordshire (Jesse Norman) on 13 June 2011, Official Report, column 634W.

Health Services: Standards

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the long-term effects of a reduction to 10 per cent. of the weighting for health inequalities in the primary care trust allocation formulae.

Simon Burns: The Disability Free Life Expectancy (DFLE) adjustment (referred to by the previous Administration as the health inequalities adjustment) was introduced in 2009-10 to address the 1reduction in avoidable health inequalities’ objective of the weighted capitation formula for primary care trust (PCT) allocations.
	The DFLE adjustment is based on a measure of health status which targets money at the areas where it will be most effective.
	For the 2011-12 PCT allocations, Ministers felt that a weight of 10% of the overall formula strikes the right balance between ensuring that vital work on health inequalities, including public health, continues and that funding to support access to health care is sufficient.
	This Government are committed to reducing health inequalities. Subject to the passing of the Health and Social Care Bill, once fully established, the NHS Commissioning Board would take over responsibility for the allocation of resources from the Department and will have a duty to have regard to reducing inequalities in access to, and the outcomes of health care. In addition, the Department will allocate a ring-fenced public health grant to local authorities, based on relative population health.

Hepatitis

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the diagnosis and treatment rates of hepatitis C among south Asian communities.

Anne Milton: We expect local national health service organisations to take appropriate steps to improve the detection, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C among South Asian communities.
	The Department is grant-funding the Hepatitis C Trust to increase hepatitis C testing in partnership with local NHS organisations through community pharmacies and an outreach mobile information and testing service, including for South Asian communities. NHS Choices hosts a dedicated website for South Asian communities at:
	www.nhs.uk/hepatitisC/southasian
	including essential information and advice about hepatitis C.
	The Department has funded the Royal College of General Practitioners to produce an educational resource for GPs and other health care professionals on hepatitis C (and hepatitis B), involving online and face-to-face learning. The resource is intended to assist in increasing the detection, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C in groups at risk of infection, including South Asian communities.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is developing public health guidance for health care professionals and the NHS on promoting and offering hepatitis C (and hepatitis B) testing to those at risk.

Hip Replacements

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for a hip replacement operation was in (a) St Helens, (b) Merseyside and (c) England in each of the last 15 years.

Simon Burns: The median time waited, in days, for hip replacement operations, is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			 Median time waited  ,   in days  ,   for hip replacement operations 
			  Halton and  St Helens Primary Care Trust Merseyside England 
			 2009-10 74 67 77 
			 2008-09 52 65 75 
			 2007-08 93 92 107 
			 2006-07 148 139 148 
		
	
	
		
			  St Helens PCT and Halton PCT Merseyside England 
			 2005-06 174 151 158 
			 2004-05 222 193 182 
			 2003-04 243 199 217 
			 2002-03 260 206 229 
			 2001-02 264 218 220 
		
	
	
		
			 2000-01 257 254 212 
			 1999-2000 241 212 198 
			 1998-99 236 245 198 
			 1997-98 231 236 181 
			 1996-97 213 206 162 
			 1995-96 (1)— (1)— 157 
			 (1 )PCT data not available prior to 1996-97.  Notes:  1. From 2006-07 to present, Merseyside data comprises Halton and St Helens PCT, Knowsley PCT, Liverpool PCT, Sefton PCT and Wirral PCT.  2. Prior to 2006-07, Merseyside data comprised St Helens PCT, Halton PCT, Knowsley PCT, South Liverpool PCT, Central Liverpool PCT, North Liverpool PCT, Southport and Formby PCT, South Sefton PCT, Birkenhead and Wallasey PCT and Bebington and West Wirral PCT.  3. In 2006-07 the following mergers occurred: St Helens PCT and Halton PCT formed Halton and St Helens PCT; South Liverpool PCT, Central Liverpool PCT and North Liverpool PCT formed Liverpool PCT; Southport and Formby PCT and South Sefton PCT formed Sefton PCT; and Birkenhead and Wallasey PCT and Bebington and West Wirral PCT formed Wirral PCT.  4. PCT level data is not available prior to 1996-97 therefore data for 1995-96 is provided at national level only.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Lung Diseases: Cardiovascular System

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of deaths attributable to (a) long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and (b) all cardiovascular causes in each local authority.

Anne Milton: The Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) estimated, on the basis of 2008 data, that particulate air pollution (measured as PM2.5) had an effect on the mortality of the United Kingdom population equivalent to 29,000 deaths in 2008. However, the Committee considered it very unlikely that this represents the total number of individuals affected. Instead it speculated that, given that much of the effect of air pollution on mortality is linked to cardiovascular deaths, then PM2.5s acting together with other factors, may have made some smaller contribution to the earlier deaths of up to 200,000 people.
	A subgroup of COMEAP is currently considering whether estimates can be made for smaller areas of the UK.
	We do not hold information on the estimated number of deaths attributable to all cardiovascular causes in each local authority. The Office for National Statistics holds data on mortality rates for cardiovascular diseases.

Mental Health Services

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends to review the provision of in-patient secure accommodation for mentally-ill patients following implementation of the proposals in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.

Paul Burstow: The Department has no intention to review the provision of in-patient secure accommodation following the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. The provision of in-patient accommodation is a matter for the national health service.
	Since the only proposed legislative change applies to Mental Health Treatment Requirements, which are unlikely to impact on secure mental health services, these impacts are unlikely to distort greatly the current interchange between the Criminal Justice System and Mental Health services. Planning for this interface will be a matter for NHS commissioners, based on local planning assumptions and Joint Strategic Needs Assessments.

Mental Illness: Drugs

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department (a) has commissioned and (b) plans to commission on the social, economic and health costs of brain damage as a result of excessive and long-term use of legally prescribed benzodiazepines.

Simon Burns: The Department has not commissioned, and has no plans to commission research specifically on the social, economic and health costs of brain damage as a result of excessive and long-term use of legally prescribed benzodiazepines.
	The Department's National Institute for Health Research welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including use of benzodiazepines. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.

NHS: Data Protection

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what security guidance (a) he and (b) NHS Connecting for Health have issued to NHS personnel on the use of (i) mobile devices, (ii) laptops, (iii) e-mail accounts and (iv) other IT equipment provided by NHS organisations for official use that relate to (A) non-patient-identifiable and (B) patient-identifiable information.

Simon Burns: The Department of Health, which incorporates NHS Connecting for Health, has provided a wide range of information security guidance in the form of a code of practice supported by an online library of good practice guidelines and an information governance toolkit. The guidance reflects the Cabinet Office data handling review in 2008. A number of letters have also been issued by the NHS chief executive, which make clear that patient-identifiable and other personal data must only be held on encrypted mobile devices and laptops and such information should not be e-mailed in an unencrypted form. Guidance on other types of information follows best risk management practice, which recommends that the protection provided reflect the sensitivity of the information held.

NHS: Microsoft

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS paid to Microsoft in annual licence fees (a) in total and (b) via subcontractors in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The following table details the amount paid by the Department on behalf of the national health service to Microsoft for desktop licences for the fiscal years 2007-08 to 2010-11.
	
		
			 Microsoft national agreements expenditure: 2007-11 
			  £ 
			 2007-08 76,399,906.00 
			 2008-09 80,385,292.00 
			 2009-10 91,384,336.00 
			 2010-11 116,317,127.50 
			 Total 364,486,661.50 
			 Notes: 1. The figures are the total of sums paid to Microsoft by the Department on behalf of the NHS via appointed resellers (Trustmarque, Computacenter and Bytes) under central agreements held by NHS Connecting for Health on behalf of the NHS. 2. The figures exclude any additional local purchases of Microsoft products, for example Microsoft Visio, Microsoft Project and Microsoft server licences which may have been made by individual trusts via separate local agreements to which NHS Connecting for Health is not party.

Nottingham City Primary Care Trust: Finance

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the financial effects of his recent changes to the NHS funding formula on Nottingham City Primary Care Trust.

Simon Burns: In December 2010, Nottingham City Primary Care Trust (PCT) received total revenue allocations of £550.3 million for 2011-12. This represents a total cash increase of £21.6 million, or 4.1% which is 1.1% above the England, average. The allocation includes a recurrent revenue allocation of £522.4 million and a non-recurrent allocation of £27.9 million for general ophthalmic services, primary dental services, pharmaceutical services and support for joint working between health and social care.
	At the close of 2010-11, under the previous formula, Nottingham City PCT was 6.2% below target for the recurrent component of its allocation. At the opening of 2011-12, under the changes to the funding formula, the PCT was 5.7% below target.
	Nottingham City PCT received higher than average funding growth in 2011-12 to move it towards target. At the close of 2011-12 the PCT will be 4.7% below target for recurrent funding.

Orphan Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is able to request a formal opinion from the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services when taking decisions on ultra-orphan treatments.

Simon Burns: It is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to consider whether to consult the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS) during an appraisal for a high cost, low volume drug. However, the NICE topic selection team and the secretariat of AGNSS work very closely in considering the most appropriate route for looking at high cost, low volume drugs for the treatment of patients with very rare conditions.

Pharmacy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he proposes any changes to the (a) commissioning and (b) monitoring of community pharmacy services.

Simon Burns: Subject to its successful passage through Parliament as part of the Health and Social Care Bill 2011, it is proposed that, in England, functions that currently lie with primary care trusts (PCTs) in relation to the commissioning and monitoring of pharmaceutical services will pass to the NHS Commissioning Board when PCTs are abolished.

Pharmacy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of supply of medicines for community pharmacies.

Simon Burns: The Department, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders are working collaboratively, within the Medicines Supply Chain Group, to better understand and mitigate the impact of supply difficulties so that patients receive the medicines they need in a timely manner. “Best Practice for Ensuring the Efficient Supply and Distribution of Medicines to Patients”, was published in February jointly by the Group. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Slaughterhouses: Closures

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many small to medium-sized slaughter houses in England closed in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The numbers of red and poultry meat slaughterhouses that have closed in the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			 Size  (1) Type 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Total 
			 Medium Red meat slaughterhouses 2 3 1 1 0 7 
			  Poultry meat slaughterhouse 4 3 3 1 2 13 
			  Total 6 6 4 2 2 20 
			 Small Red meat slaughterhouses 1 2 4 3 2 12 
			  Poultry meat slaughterhouse 8 7 3 4 1 23 
		
	
	
		
			  Total 9 9 7 7 3 35 
			 (1) Size is based on the following classification: Small—throughput of up to 5,000 livestock units a year Medium—throughput of between 5,000 and 50,000 livestock units a year Large—throughput of between 50,000 and 125,000 livestock units a year Very large—throughput over 125,000 units a year

Smoking: Public Places

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has provided advice to local authorities who wish to extend the smoking ban to parks and other public places.

Anne Milton: No such advice has been provided by the Department.

Smoking: Public Places

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure consistency in the (a) application, (b) scope and (c) operation of the smoking ban in England and Wales.

Anne Milton: The scope of smokefree legislation for England and Wales is set out within part 1, chapter 1 of the Health Act 2006.
	‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England’ was published in March 2011, and set out that the Government believe that the aims of smokefree legislation continue to be effectively achieved and that levels of compliance and public support for the law are high.
	To support the application and operation of smokefree legislation by local authorities in England, Local Government Regulation, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Trading Standards Institute have jointly published guidance titled ‘Implementation of smokefree legislation in England: Guidance for council regulatory officers and Implementation of smokefree legislation in England: Associated issues’. Copies of both publications have already been place in the Library.
	The application and operation of smokefree legislation in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government. A group convened by the Welsh Local Government Association has published guidance titled Enforcement Guidance and Protocols for Smoke-Free Public Places: Guidance for officers in the enforcement of provision of the Health Act 2006 and Smoke-Free Premises etc. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Specialised Service Transitional Oversight Group

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who instructed that the Specialised Service Transitional Oversight Group be established; on what date the decision to establish the group was taken; when the group was formed; what the (a) name and (b) occupation is of each member of the group; and what advice the group has given to NHS commissioning bodies on the commissioning of stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment.

Simon Burns: The Specialised Service Transitional Oversight Group was set up in shadow form prior to formal approval for establishment from the Commissioning Development Board in April 2011. It’s membership and their occupation are:
	
		
			 Member Occupation 
			 Sir Neil McKay Chair of the Transitional Oversight Group 
			 Kate Caston Transitional Programme Lead-Specialised Services, NHS Commissioning Board Implementation Team Department of Health 
			 Gerard Hetherington Director Clinical Programmes Department of Health 
			 Anne McDonald Deputy Director Forensic Mental Health and Disability Department of Health 
			 Rachel Atkinson Deputy Director, Reducing Re-offending, Ministry of Justice 
			 John Bewick Director of Commissioning Development, NHS South West 
			 Ailsa Claire OBE Director of Commissioning Development, NHS Yorkshire and the Humber 
			 Paul Watson Chief Executive, NHS Suffolk 
			 Teresa Moss Director of the National Specialised Commissioning Team 
			 Kathy McLean Medical Director, NHS East Midlands 
			 David Black Director of Public Health Derbyshire NHS Derbyshire County 
			 Sally Brearley NHS Future Forum, Patient and Public Engagement Worker Specialist Services Group London 
			 Ian Poree Director of Commissioning and Commercial National Offender Management Service 
			 Denise White Programme Support Officer Department of Health 
			 Sharon Beamish Director, East Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group 
			 Catherine O'Connell Director East of England Specialised Commissioning Group 
			 Karen Helliwell Director, West Midlands Specialised Commissioning Group 
		
	
	To date the Transitional Oversight Group has given no formal advice to NHS commissioning bodies on individual treatments and interventions of stereotactic body radiotherapy treatment.

Warwickshire Primary Care Trust

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many managers there were in Warwickshire Primary Care Trust in each year since 2007.

Simon Burns: Information from national health service hospital and community health services on senior managers and managers in the Warwickshire primary care trust at 30 September each year is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Headcount 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Warwickshire primary care trust 83 106 118 140 
			      
			 Senior Manager 34 16 22 31 
			 Central functions 30 16 20 27 
			 Hotel, property and estates 1 — — 1 
			 Clinical support 3 — 2 3 
			      
			 Manager 49 90 96 109 
			 Central functions 39 74 76 88 
			 Hotel, property and estates 2 4 5 7 
			 Clinical support 8 12 15 14 
			 Note: It should be noted that headcount totals are unlikely to equal the sum of components. Source: NHS Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what major projects his Department has funded in Afghanistan which involve (a) government and civil society and (b) economic infrastructure and budget support since the start of UK military operations; and who the recipients were of such funding.

Andrew Mitchell: All projects funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) in Afghanistan can be found using the Project Information Database which can be accessed via:
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/
	and selecting ‘Afghanistan’ as the location. You are then able to filter the search further by using the ‘Sector Groups’ function. The database does not include information on projects which ended before the website went live in August 2009. Obtaining complete programme information outside this period would incur disproportionate cost.
	DFID does not provide budget support to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on rail track construction in Afghanistan in each year since the start of UK military operations.

Andrew Mitchell: To date the Department for International Development has not funded any rail track construction in Afghanistan since the start of UK military operations.
	However, the UK Government have recently contributed £35 million to the new Afghanistan Infrastructure Trust Fund (AITF) which is managed by the Asian Development Bank. Future AITF programming is likely to include investment in rail, in line with the Afghan Government's National Priority Programmes on infrastructure.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many miles of rail track his Department has funded in Afghanistan in each year since the start of UK military operations.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development has not funded any rail track construction in Afghanistan since the start of UK military operations.

Africa: Agriculture

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had on future levels of financial support for the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has no plans to fund the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA) at the present time.
	In December 2010, DFID considered FARA's request for new funding against the coalition Government's emphasis on demonstrating value for money and delivering results. Our decision, which was relayed to FARA in December 2010, was that we would focus our support to African research on the two African Sub Regional Organisations of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) and the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA), who are more closely aligned to these priorities.

Africa: Droughts

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department is providing to countries that are experiencing an influx of refugees arising from the drought in the Horn of Africa.

Andrew Mitchell: In response to the drought and population displacement in the Horn of Africa the UK has directly allocated £124.29 million to humanitarian agencies working in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Of this amount £10 million has been earmarked specifically for Somali refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya who now number more than 500,000.
	The UK's overall package of support will benefit more than 2 million people in the Horn of Africa including hundreds of thousands of Somali refugees. In Ethiopia this includes over 1.6 million people, including Somali refugees, who will receive food and nutrition assistance for three months. In Kenya this includes over 130,000 Somali refugees now in Dadaab refugee camp who will benefit from clean water and health care services.

Burma: Refugees

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has provided to the United Nations Refugee Agency to assist refugees from Burma who are in Malaysia.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided no funding to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) specifically to assist refugees from Burma who are in Malaysia. From 2007 to 2011 DFID provided UNHCR with £96 million in core funding to enable it to respond to emergency situations wherever they arise.

Burma: Refugees

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has provided for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh in each of the last three years; and what projects such funding was spent on.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development does not directly fund projects focused on Rohingya refugees but provides core contributions to the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) and United Nations agencies, who are active in Bangladesh in this area. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) manages the official camps. The World Health Organisation, the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund have also been working with Rohingyas within the camps and in the surrounding communities over the past three years.

Commonwealth Development Corporation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what date the Commonwealth Development Corporation first appointed a person designated as the appointed representative under Regulation 6 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2003.

Alan Duncan: CDC has not appointed any person as an “appointed representative” under Regulation 6 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2003 because appointed representatives are not applicable to the business that CDC carries out.

Commonwealth Development Corporation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on what date the Commonwealth Development Corporation first appointed a person designated as the relevant person under Part 3 of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007.

Alan Duncan: As CDC is itself a “relevant person” under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, CDC has not appointed anyone else for that purpose. CDC had a Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) prior to the Money Laundering Regulations 2003 coming into force and appointed a “nominated officer” (the term used for a MLRO in the regulations) on 8 April 2004 as required by both the 2003 and 2007 Money Laundering Regulations.

Commonwealth Development Corporation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which months in (a) 2008, (b) 2009 and (c) 2010 the Commonwealth Development Corporation made no reports of suspicious activity.

Alan Duncan: As a matter of general practice CDC does not disclose any information relating to suspicious activity reports (SAR) as it believes that were it to do so, it could be at risk of committing the offence of “tipping off” under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Departmental Consultants

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many senior civil servants in his Department at each grade had worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in each of the last four years; what consultancy agreements his Department had with those firms in each such year; and how many consultants from those firms have advised his Department in each such year.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) has no senior civil servants who have worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young, Deloitte or KPMG immediately prior to taking up their appointment in any of the last four years.
	A list of supplier contracts issued to these organisations in the past four years has been placed in the Library of the House.
	DFID do not retain a central record of individual consultants who provide advice as part of a contract with a supplier organisation. To collate this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) received around 550 letters from hon. Members in June 2011.

Departmental Procurement

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what methodology (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible used to estimate savings to the public purse made in respect of its procurement and purchasing since May 2010.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) uses its Procurement Efficiency Savings Benefits Policy as the methodology for recording procurement savings. This is based on the Benefits Methodology Guide published by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Markets and Collaborative Procurement (MCP) Programme. DFID adopted this methodology in October 2010; prior to that date no formal methodology was used.

Departmental Research

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's strategic research priorities are.

Andrew Mitchell: The research strategy for the Department for International Development has three broad aims; the first is to support the development of new technologies which would have an impact on poverty or the effects of poverty, such as new vaccines, drugs or drought-tolerant crops; the second is to find better and more cost-effective ways of delivering aid and development assistance to those who need it; the third is to increase understanding of key development questions to support best policy choices.

Departmental Research

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on academic research since May 2010.

Alan Duncan: The amount spent on centrally funded research by the Department for International Development in the period 1 May 2010 to 31 July 2011 is. £225,961,207.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what information his Department publishes on foreign visits to be undertaken by Ministers of his Department; how much prior notification is provided to external bodies of such visits; and how such information is publicised.

Andrew Mitchell: For security reasons, the Department for International Development (DFID) does not publish information on foreign visits in advance. For the same reasons, only external bodies directly involved in a particular overseas visit would receive prior notification of DFID Ministers' travel proposals.
	DFID submits quarterly returns to the Cabinet Office providing details of all ministerial visits that have taken place in that quarter.

Departmental Work Experience

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) persons undertaking unpaid work experience, (b) unpaid interns and (c) other persons in unpaid positions were working in his Department as of 1 July 2011.

Andrew Mitchell: The only internship programme currently being supported within the Department for International Development (DFID) is the Cabinet Office programme designed to provide work experience to ethnic minority and under represented students aged between 16 and 18 years old; DFID accommodated three students as part of this programme over a two week period in July 2011.
	DFID has developed a 'Business and Innovation Fellows Programme' designed to supplement the private sector skills and experience of DFID staff. This will involve short term and unpaid input from experienced private sector specialists. The first secondee, who is a knowledge and information specialist, started in DFID on 22 August 2011.
	DFID departments also independently provide unpaid work experience for school aged students but these are not managed centrally nor formally recorded.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with its research partners on ensuring that agricultural research funded by his Department reaches smallholder farmers who would benefit the most from its findings in a timely, accessible and intelligible form.

Andrew Mitchell: Ensuring that the end products of research are what small-holder farmers need is the best way of translating research into impact. This is why the UK is now leading efforts to increase the accountability of international, regional and national research organisations to small-holder farmers and other users of research.
	We recognise that products and technology have to reach famers. The UK has invested heavily in getting research into widespread use through better; communications. For example Research into Use Programme (RIU) commissions Kenya based ShujaazFM to cover relevant agricultural messages in free comic books. The comic is focused on the needs of young people in both urban and rural areas and engages them through popular culture and combining accessible youth-focused media: the comic, daily syndicated FM radio and TV programmes and interactive SMS. Additional DFID investment in June 2010 raised circulation to 600,000 copies per month, with an anticipated readership of 12 million. ShujaazFM won the 2011 Special Award at the One World Media Awards.

Developing Countries: Agriculture

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on extension services in developing countries to ensure that agricultural research funded by his Department reaches the end user in each of the last five years.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not collect specific data on expenditure on agricultural extension services. However several country programmes have programmes that are seeking to improve agricultural production and the outcomes for smallholder farmers, and as part of these programmes may be contributing to building the capacity of extension services.
	We also fund a number of specific agricultural research initiatives which will provide stronger evidence of how to get research into widespread use more quickly through effective partnerships with the national extension agencies and also with the private sector, NGOs and farmers organisations. This information is shared with others involved in agricultural development, including small-scale farmers themselves.

Developing Countries: Domestic Service

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects on domestic workers in developing countries of the International Labour Organisation's Convention on Domestic Workers.

Alan Duncan: We have not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on domestic workers in development countries of the International Labour Organisation's (ILO's) Convention on Domestic Workers. The Government recognise the importance of protecting vulnerable workers worldwide, and continues to support developing countries in implementing national labour laws, ensuring decent work for all workers including domestic workers. In addition we plan to look at the impact of the ILO Convention through the Asia Regional Anti-Trafficking Programme which will include a focus on migrant workers from India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Developing Countries: Food

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of local, national and regional (a) emergency and (b) strategic food reserves to alleviating the effects of food price volatility in developing countries.

Alan Duncan: At the meeting of Agriculture Ministers in June, G20 members agreed to ask the World Food Programme (WFP) to develop a pilot proposal for an emergency food reserves system, to complement existing regional and national food reserves. Department for International Development (DFID) staff are currently participating in the working group set up to support WFP in preparing a feasibility study and cost-benefit analysis for this pilot.
	G20 countries, including the UK, do not advocate the development of physical food reserves as a means of alleviating the effects of food price volatility in developing countries. The proposed pilot will not aim to fill commercial gaps or purchase or release stocks large enough to impact on wider food markets or commodity price levels. Other measures included in the G20 Agriculture Action Plan—such as the Agricultural Market Information System to improve data on agricultural markets and an international Rapid Response Forum to co-ordinate action when agricultural markets become more volatile—are intended to reduce the negative impacts of price volatility on the poor.

Horn of Africa: Sexual Offences

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports he has received of sexual assault of female refugees in the Horn of Africa; what steps are being taken to safeguard such refugees; and what further steps are being considered.

Andrew Mitchell: In Kenya last month, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) released the report of a rapid assessment of Gender Based Violence in Dadaab refuge camp. The report made several recommendations including improving the access to quality health services, provision of age appropriate emotional support, establishment of female only safe areas for the reporting of protection concerns, and that all sectors of camp life must take prevention and risk mitigation actions to minimise potential risks and violence to women and girls.
	By contrast in Ethiopia there are limited data or confirmed reports of sexual assault of female refugees. However, recent assessments by aid agencies in the Dolo Ado refugee camps now hosting over 118,000 Somali refugees (of whom 53.5% are female) have highlighted a number of risk factors that make female refugees vulnerable to sexual and gender based violence.
	The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and other aid agencies are working with community members to improve the level of services, expertise of staff and awareness in the refugee camps to address these risks. We are working to ensure that this happens.

India: Overseas Aid

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure the targeting of development aid at people living in unstable and fragile circumstances as a result of the conflict in north east India.

Alan Duncan: We have agreed with the Government of India to focus our development co-operation on a number of large states which contain a substantial proportion of the people living on less than $1.25 per day. We are therefore not targeting our development aid at those affected by conflict in north east India. We are however supporting some national programmes of the Indian Government, such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Universal Elementary Education Programme) which benefit the north-eastern states.

India: Overseas Aid

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to provide support in respect of battle-related deaths in India between 2000 and 2008.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not plan to provide support specifically for those affected by battle-related deaths in India between 2000 and 2008. DFID has agreed with the Government of India to focus our development cooperation on a number of India's poorest states. Our support will be targeted to the poorest women and girls, to help them obtain quality schooling, health care, nutrition and jobs. We will also help unlock the potential of the private sector to deliver jobs, products, infrastructure and basic services.

Kenya: Refugees

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to support UN efforts to encourage the Kenyan Government to allow the expansion of refugee camps in Kenya.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government have been pressing the Government of Kenya throughout 2011 on the need to allocate more space for refugee camps, working closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The Minister for Internal Security recently confirmed that they would open Ifo II camp in Dadaab, which is expected to be occupied by approximately 40,000 refugees. However, with nearly 1,300 people, including children, arriving from Somalia on a daily basis, the process of decongesting the Dadaab camps needs to be accelerated. I raised these points with the Kenyan Prime Minister and the Minister for Internal Security during my visit to Kenya in July. The UK is also providing a substantial package of financial support through UN agencies, to assist new refugees in the Dadaab camps.

Malawi: Overseas Aid

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when his Department plans to publish its revised Operational Plan for Malawi.

Alan Duncan: We are in the process of revising the Department for International Development's Operational Plan for Malawi following the announcement on 14 July 2011 to suspend general budget support to Malawi. This revision includes discussing certain policy issues with the Government of Malawi. The Malawi Government's response will affect DFlD's Operational Plan, which we intend to publish once these policy issues have been clarified.

Malawi: Overseas Aid

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which projects in Malawi listed on his Department's website on 19 July 2011 will be reduced as a result of the freeze on direct aid to that country.

Alan Duncan: The UK Government announced that they were suspending general budget support to Malawi on 14 July 2011. This decision does not mean that DFID intends to reduce the amount of UK aid Malawi receives, but that we intend to deliver that aid through other channels. Hence there are no plans to reduce any projects listed on the website as a result of the announcement to suspend general budget support to Malawi.

Malawi: Overseas Aid

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the aid formerly committed to Malawi between 2011 and 2015 will not now be delivered following his Department's freeze on direct aid to that country.

Stephen O'Brien: The UK Government announced on 14 July 2011 that they were suspending general budget support to Malawi. This decision does not mean that the Department for International Development (DFID) intends to reduce the amount of UK aid Malawi receives. It simply means we intend to deliver that aid through other channels. We are determined to continue funding other programmes in Malawi that protect the poor and deliver basic services like health and education. This means keeping girls in school, ensuring women deliver their babies safely and helping farmers grow enough food to feed their families and communities.
	DFID is currently revising its Operational Plan for Malawi following the 14 July 2011 announcement on general budget support. This will set out the specific plans and results for the programme over the next four years.

Overseas Aid

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to assist UK companies in tendering for overseas contracts funded by his Department.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) launched a Supplier Portal at the beginning of April 2011. The Portal provides an electronic platform of easy single point access to allow all our suppliers, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to have the opportunity to compete equally for DFID contracts. There is no charge to the supplier for this service, which includes automated alerts for new opportunities.
	DFID actively engages with suppliers through participation at events like the British Expertise seminars. These forums are an opportunity for suppliers to gain a greater understanding of DFID business, engage directly with senior Procurement Officials and openly discuss DFID procurement policies to identify further opportunities to improve.
	All competitions for procurements with a value of £100,000 or above are carried out in line with the European Union (EU) Directives and are advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). The EU principles of fair and open competition are also applied to lower value procurements. All OJEU adverts are automatically shown on the DFID Supplier Portal.

Overseas Aid: Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of aid he proposes will be delivered through the private sector.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not allocate funds on the basis of an organisation's business profile. Partners are chosen on a case by case basis to ensure maximum value for money. For planning purposes DFID allocates money by priority pillars. The pillars are wealth creation, governance and security, climate change and global partnerships, as well as DFID funding in support of the Millennium Development Goals (education, health, water and sanitation and humanitarian assistance).
	DFID's new Private Sector Department will play a key role in promoting private sector activities within wealth creation, as well as the other pillars. More detail on DFID's approach to working with the private sector is contained within the paper titled “The Engine of Development: The Private Sector and Prosperity for Poor People”. This can be found on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/2011/Mitchell-Harness-dynamism-and-energy-of-private-enterprise-in-international-development/
	For more information on current activities in this area and budget allocations please see the DFID Annual Report and Accounts 2010-11, which can also be found on the DFID website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-DFID/Finance-and-performance/Annual-report/

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what checks his Department has put in place to ensure that UK aid and assistance to Gaza is used for its intended purpose.

Alan Duncan: The UK takes extensive precautions to ensure that our assistance to Gaza is used to meet the humanitarian needs of the civilian population and support the legitimate Gazan economy.
	We carefully select the partners we work with in Gaza. They are, in the main, United Nations agencies and reputable international non-governmental organisations with proven track records of effective delivery in Gaza. Our funding to the Palestinian Authority (which spends approximately half its budget in Gaza) is administered through a World Bank managed trust fund, which has stringent audit requirements. We work closely with all our partners on project design to ensure that our support reaches only its intended beneficiaries; and that European Union and UK legislation on anti-terrorist funding is adhered to.

Private Sector

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff of his Department have expertise in the private sector.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development currently has 58 accredited private sector development advisers. 12 more are due to join us this year and we plan to recruit 12 more next year.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the requirement for humanitarian aid in Puntland;
	(2)  how much humanitarian funding his Department is giving to Somaliland as part of its response to the food supply situation in East Africa.

Andrew Mitchell: British humanitarian support to Somalia has mostly been focussed on delivering lifesaving aid where acute needs are greatest, specifically in south and central areas of Somalia, where some 2.8 million people are in desperate need of help. However, we recognise that northern Somalia has not escaped the impact of the current drought and is also suffering, although to a lesser extent—acute malnutrition rates in many southern regions are almost double those in the north, and mortality rates are many times worse.
	Last month I announced a £25 million package of support to help over 500,000 victims of the drought across Somalia, including treatment for thousands of acutely malnourished children, urgently needed food, clean water, shelter and health care. UK support to the UN’s pooled funding mechanism, the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), is helping non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to access urgently required funds to respond to ongoing needs across the country, including in Puntland and Somaliland.
	British aid in Somalia is being targeted to help those people most in need of emergency assistance. At present, and based on recent UN assessments, the majority of northern Somalia does not fall into this category of severity. However, my officials will continue to monitor the food security situation in the north of the country to ensure needs are being met across this area.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much humanitarian funding his Department is giving to Puntland as part of its response to the food supply situation in East Africa.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government humanitarian funding reaching Puntland is approximately £4.5 million, reaching the affected pastoralist communities. The UK Government's humanitarian aid targets the most vulnerable people who are currently in southern Somalia, where more than 90% of our current response is going.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will consider the merits of increasing his Department's humanitarian aid to Puntland.

Andrew Mitchell: My Department's officials are in constant contact with United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation's unit which conducts regular food insecurity and nutritional surveys in all of Somalia. The most recent survey was conducted in July and the food insecurity situation was classified as serious to critical in Puntland. The next survey results are expected by the end of August and these will inform my Department's officials on the merits of increasing humanitarian aid to Puntland.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the requirement for humanitarian aid in Somaliland.

Andrew Mitchell: The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation's unit which conducts regular nutritional surveys in all of Somalia indicated a serious food insecurity situation in Somaliland during the last survey in July but this had not yet moved to critical. The next survey results are expected at the end of August and my Department's officials will use these results to re-assess the humanitarian aid requirements for Somaliland.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will consider the merits of increasing his Department's humanitarian aid to Somaliland.

Andrew Mitchell: My Department's officials are in constant contact with United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation's unit which conducts regular food and nutritional surveys in all of Somalia. The most recent survey conducted in July indicated serious food insecurity in Somaliland. My Department's officials are closely following the surveys and will use the unit's results expected by the end of August to consider the merits of increasing the UK Government's humanitarian aid to Somaliland.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department has provided (a) directly and (b) through international agencies in respect of the famine in Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: Consecutive poor rains and failed harvests, coupled with conflict and widespread insecurity across Somalia, have left some 3.2 million people in immediate need of lifesaving assistance, many of them in the famine-affected areas of Southern Somalia.
	The British Government have been swift to respond to the needs of the Somali people, providing emergency support to over 500,000 men, women and children. British aid, delivered through trusted UN and charity organisations like UNICEF, Oxfam GB and Concern Worldwide, is helping to: treat over 60,000 acutely malnourished children; provide food for almost 20,000 people; provide clean drinking water for over 300,000 people and; provide access to basic health care for some 140,000 people.
	I announced a package of £25 million of new assistance to Somalia during my visit to the region on 16 July, as well as £16 million of support for Somali refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia. This was in addition to £17 million of humanitarian aid the UK had already provided earlier in 2011. UK support is also helping Somalia indirectly through our contributions to the UN Central Emergency Respond Fund, UN agencies, the European Union and various UK NGOs.
	We will continue to closely monitor the situation and urge other countries to contribute to the humanitarian response immediately.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the (a) government of Somalia and (b) authorities in Somaliland and Puntland on steps to facilitate international support in respect of the current famine.

Andrew Mitchell: I visited Mogadishu on 17 August where I met Prime Minister Abdiweli, Ministers involved in the Transitional Federal Government's Drought Management Committee and the Deputy Mayor of Mogadishu. I pressed the Somali authorities to do everything possible to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. I emphasised the UK's continued leadership role in galvanising the international response and detailed the support we are providing through humanitarian partners on the ground: nutritional support for starving children, water, sanitation and health services.
	Famine has not been declared in either Somaliland or Puntland, but the UK Government is in regular contact with the authorities in both regions and we continue to monitor the humanitarian situation throughout Somalia. Some of our funding to humanitarian partners working across Somalia is being used to support urgent needs in these regions.

South Sudan: International Trade

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department is providing to increase levels of (a) economic output from and (b) trade with South Sudan.

Andrew Mitchell: UK aid will improve farmers' access to markets through the construction and maintenance of over 500 kms of feeder roads, as part of a joint programme with the World Bank, USAID and EU. A trade facilitation programme will establish a customs service and lower the cost of cross-border trade. Further programmes are being developed to promote private sector development, including by addressing corruption and providing incentives to firms to create market opportunities for poorer people. The Department for International Development (DFID) is also helping the Government of South Sudan to improve economic management and investment decisions.

South Sudan: Overseas Aid

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what priorities his Department has set for the outcomes of aid delivered by his Department to South Sudan.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) four year Operational Plan for South Sudan was published on the DFID website
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	on 28 July 2011. The UK's aid programme in South Sudan will focus on enabling poor people, particularly girls and women, to benefit from more equitable and sustainable services; increased employment and livelihood opportunities—supported by private sector investment; greater security; more accountable and efficient government; and less corruption. DFID is aiming for extensive results including: 1 million people having enough food to eat; 240,000 more children completing primary school; 750,000 people to be treated for or prevented from getting malaria; 4 million people receiving life-saving healthcare and nutrition; 12 million textbooks printed and distributed to almost 2 million children; and increased private sector investment and trade by reducing cross border transport costs up by 15%.

South Sudan: Overseas Aid

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to increase access and protection for aid workers in south Sudan.

Andrew Mitchell: Humanitarian personnel across South Sudan work in a difficult security environment. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is playing a vital role in engaging the Government of South Sudan on issues of access and security. The UK Government work closely with the UN on these issues and also raises them bilaterally with the authorities, including during my visit in May 2011. The UK Government are providing financial support to the non-governmental organisation (NGO) RedR in order to train NGO staff on security. It is important that NGOs have full access and are adequately protected when going about their important work, and we urge the Government of South Sudan to ensure that this is the case.

South Sudan: Overseas Aid

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the government of South Sudan on (a) incidences of violence against aid workers and (b) the protection of such workers in South Sudan.

Andrew Mitchell: Humanitarian personnel across South Sudan work in a difficult security environment. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is playing a vital role in engaging the Government of South Sudan on issues of access and security. The UK Government work closely with the UN on these issues and also raises them bilaterally with the authorities, including during my visit in May 2011. The British Government are providing financial support to the NGO RedR in order to train NGO staff on security. It is important that NGOs have full access and are adequately protected when going about their important work, and we urge the Government of South Sudan to ensure that this is the case.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Sri Lanka regarding the humanitarian situation in that country.

Alan Duncan: The Secretary of State for International Development, the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), has not had any recent discussions with the Sri Lankan Government. The British high commission in Colombo regularly discusses the humanitarian situation with the Sri Lankan Government and monitors progress on the ground, which has greatly improved since the end of the military conflict in May 2009. The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently providing £3 million of de-mining assistance to allow those displaced by the conflict to return to their home areas. The high commission also meets with other donors in country, including multilateral organisations to which the UK makes a contribution.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of apprenticeships available in each skill area in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows apprenticeship starts by sector subject area for 2009/10, the latest academic year for which final data are available.
	Estimates of the number of apprenticeships available are not available for 2011 and 2012. The apprenticeships programme is demand led. Government does not plan apprenticeship places by level but provides funding and forecasts the overall number of places that may be afforded. We rely on employers and providers to work together to offer sufficient opportunities to meet local demand, taking advantage of the greater freedoms and flexibilities that we have created in the further education system.
	For the 2011/12 academic year, our indicative forecast is to fund over 360,000 apprenticeship places. The sectors that these places fall within will be determined by the employers coming forward to make places available.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by sector subject area, 2009/10 
			 Sector subject area Number 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care 5,690 
			 Arts, Media and Publishing 440 
			 Business, Administration and Law 76,590 
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 25,210 
			 Education and Training 860 
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 37,860 
			 Health, Public Services and Care 44,150 
			 Information and Communication Technology 12,570 
			 Languages, Literature and Culture — 
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism 14,690 
			 Preparation for Life and Work — 
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise 61,620 
			 Science and Mathematics — 
			 Unknown — 
			 Grand total 279,700 
			 ‘—’ Indicates a base value of less than five. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest ten except for the grand total which is rounded to the nearest hundred. Source: Individualised Learner Record. 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23 June 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Apprentices: Greater London

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of people aged over 18 who (a) began and (b) completed an apprenticeship in (i) the London borough of Tower Hamlets and (ii) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency in each year since 2005-06.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts and framework achievements by learners aged 19 and over in Tower Hamlets local education authority, Bethnal Green and Bow parliamentary constituency for academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10, the latest year for which final year data is available.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship framework starts and achievements in Tower Hamlets local education authority and Bethnal Green and Bow parliamentary constituency by learners aged 19 and over, 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			   2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 
			 Tower Hamlets local education authority Starts 90 110 250 350 460 
			  Achievements 50 40 90 140 270 
			        
			 Bethnal Green and Bow constituency Starts 50 50 120 180 240 
			  Achievements 30 20 40 70 130 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Geographic information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. These figures are based on the geographic boundaries of parliamentary constituencies as of May 2010. 4. Age is calculated based on age at start of the programme. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts and achievements is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23 June 2011
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Apprentices: Skills Funding

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the head of the Skills Funding Agency on possible changes to the monitoring of apprenticeships lasting 13 weeks or less.

John Hayes: End to end responsibility for apprenticeships including delivery of the programme and accountability for ensuring high standards and value for money for public investment in apprenticeships sits with the chief executive of the National Apprenticeship Service rather than the chief executive of Skills Funding. As Minister responsible for apprenticeships, I meet with the chief executive of the National Apprenticeship Service regularly to discuss these matters.
	The length of apprenticeships is already monitored. Of the record number of apprenticeships starting between 1 August 2010 and 30 April 2011, only 3% of achievers had an actual length of stay lasting less than 13 weeks. The National Apprenticeship Service is scrutinising each of these programmes to satisfy itself that they meet the required quality standards and that an appropriate level of funding is paid to reflect the training needed and delivered.

Arms Trade: Exports

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the value of each contract the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation has helped companies in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland to secure in each of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: The information requested is not held by UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation. Data collected from defence companies on the total value of new contracts signed for the sale of products and services overseas in the last five years, and for security companies the value of export business completed in each of the last four years, are shown in the table.
	Information on security business is not available for the year 2006.
	
		
			 £ billion 
			  Defence Security Total 
			 2010 6 2 8 
			 2009 7.2 1.6 8.8 
			 2008 4.3 1.5 5.8 
			 2007 9.6 1.3 10.9 
			 2006 5.5 — 5.5

Arms Trade: Syria

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many arms export licences have been granted for arms sales to Syria in each of the last five years; what arms were exported under each licence; who received the arms in Syria; and what their end-use was.

Mark Prisk: In the past five years, the Export Control Organisation has issued three licences for the export of military goods to Syria.
	In October 2008, a Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) was issued for the export to UNICEF of seven pieces of body armour, 14 ceramic plates to be fitted to body armour and seven helmets, for the protection of their staff in conduct of their humanitarian work. These items have been exported and the SIEL is therefore exhausted.
	In August 2008, a SIEL was issued for the export of sporting gun ammunition to a sporting organisation for training and competition. The SIEL was for 300,000 rounds of sporting ammunition (of the internationally recognised sporting calibre .22). Our records show that 60,000 rounds were exported in September 2008 and that the licence has since expired.
	In January 2010, a SIEL was issued for the export of sporting gun ammunition to a sporting organisation for training and competition, including international competition. The SIEL was for 200,000 rounds of sporting ammunition (.22 calibre). The goods on this licence have not been shipped. The Government reviewed all licences for Syria in May 2011 after the EU arms embargo was imposed. This licence was revoked as the proposed export was no longer consistent with the Consolidated Criteria, Criteria 1 (UK's International commitments to enforce EU arms embargoes).

Business: Banks

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of information asymmetries between small and medium-sized enterprises and banks.

Mark Prisk: It is widely recognised (e.g. the 2004 Graham Review) that market failures exist in small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) debt markets, where information needed by lenders to make judgments on individual loan applications may be expensive, or difficult to obtain. Although advances in credit assessment techniques may have helped to overcome these difficulties, barriers resulting from a lack of information may still be faced by certain types of business, in particular those that lack an established track record.
	This Department is aware that some businesses can encounter difficulties when accessing bank finance due to a lack of financial track record, or collateral. For instance, the SME Finance Monitor (July 2011) reported that, for SMEs whose borrowing requests were declined, the main reason given was lack of credit history or a poor credit history.
	In order to help viable businesses lacking a track record, the Government have extended the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme, which is targeted at such businesses and those businesses who lack security.

Business: Government Assistance

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many business mentors are working in the Business Mentoring Scheme (a) nationally, (b) in each region and (c) in each parliamentary constituency.

Mark Prisk: Mentorsme.co.uk, Britain's first online mentoring gateway, was launched on 4 July and provides a single point of access for those seeking mentoring and those seeking to be mentors, covering the whole of the UK.
	At launch, it included approximately 40 mentoring organisations, providing access to around 10,000 mentors. Since launch, a number of applications from other mentoring organisations who wish to be listed on the portal have been received and are currently being assessed. More organisations will be added in the coming months as they register interest, providing they meet certain standards. The site includes both national and regional organisations, including at least eight which cover the hon. Member's constituency. We do not currently have data to establish how many individual mentors are in each region or parliamentary constituency.

Business: Government Assistance

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what Government funding (a) was and (b) is to be made available for business support in (i) Wirral, (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the north-west and (iv) England in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12, (C) 2012-13, (D) 2013-14 and (E) 2014-15.

Mark Prisk: Government funding for business support in (i) Wirral, (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the north-west and (iv) England in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12, (C) 2012-13, (D) 2013-14 and (E) 2014-15 is as follows:
	Regional Growth Fund (RGF)
	The Local Growth White Paper published on 28 October 2010 launched the £1.4 billion Regional Growth Fund (RGF) that will operate over three years from 2011 to 2014. This is a challenge fund that operates in England only and is not ring-fenced or pre allocated in any way.
	The first round of bidding for the fund closed on 21 January 2011. Announcements on the successful bids from that round were made in April, with £450 million being invested by the Government through the RGF, expected to leverage more than £2.5 billion of private sector investment. The second, main, round was launched on 12 April with a closing date of 1 July. We are very pleased with the response to this round and the team is currently processing details of the bids received. Details of both rounds can be found on the BIS website:
	www.bis.gov.uk/rgf
	Grant for Business Investment (GBI)
	In 2010/11 the total Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFIE)/GBI actual expenditure in England was £48 million. Of this, £11 million was in the north-west. This figure includes two SFIE projects located in Merseyside (Getrag Ford and Pilkington) on which £2.06 million was paid.
	Going forward, the budget figures for forecast expenditure in 2011/12 are £32 million, in 2012/13 and 2013/14 it is £23 million and in 2014/15 it is £19 million.
	The forecast for individual projects in the north-west in 2011/12 is £8.5 million, in 2012/13 it is £6.2 million and in 2013/14 and 2014/15 it is £5.2 million. The expenditure relates to three projects, all in Merseyside.
	Business Coaching for Growth
	The Government are committed to creating the right long term environment to make it easier to start and grow a business. This includes a new Business Coaching for Growth (BCG) programme which will help up to 10,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) a year to overcome the barriers to high growth. This is a national service so it is not possible to provide a regional breakdown.
	BCG will be built around two main themes:
	Coaching: the programme will provide coaches to work face to face with senior management teams to help them to develop and implement their strategies and develop the skills, expertise and techniques to overcome the barriers they face to growing.
	Connectivity: BCG will be highly networked and will connect high growth potential businesses to other forms of support such as business incubators and science parks. It will also fast track businesses to trusted sources of specialist advice.
	The formal process to procure BCG began in April and has attracted considerable interest from the business community.
	BIS has adopted the Competitive Dialogue procurement procedure which involves strong engagement and discussion with private sector bidders. BIS is confident that the market will deliver an innovative, flexible and cost-effective solution to delivering BCG across England. The full procurement process should be completed in the autumn and the service will be rolled out in early 2012.
	Enterprise Finance Guarantee
	The Enterprise Finance Guarantee is a loan guarantee scheme to facilitate additional bank lending to viable SMEs with insufficient or no security with which to secure a normal commercial loan.
	Enterprise Loan Guarantee (EFG) loans to businesses in the Wirral, Merseyside, north-west and England for the financial years 2010/11 and 2011/12 were as follows:
	
		
			  Number of loans offered Loan amount  (£ million) 
			 Wirral   
			 FY 2010/11 21 2.19 
			 FY 2011/12 2 0.02 
			 Grand total 23 2.22 
			    
			 Merseyside   
			 FY 2010/11 96 11.03 
			 FY 2011/12 20 1.78 
			 Grand total 116 12.81 
			    
			 North West   
			 FY 2010/11 699 66.34 
			 FY 2011/12 157 13.19 
			 Grand total 856 79.52 
			    
			 England   
			 FY 2010/11 4494 422.23 
			 FY 2011/12 1067 104.99 
			 Grand total 5561 527.22 
		
	
	Regional Development Agencies/ Venture Capital Loan Funds
	Regional development agencies (RDAs) established a range of venture capital and loan funds (VCLFs) providing debt and equity funding to SMEs in their respective regions. These funds were established using money from the Single Programme and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). In many regions, including the north-west, European funds were used to leverage private sector investment into the VCLF. Across England almost £0.5 billion (RDA funds, ERDF and private investment) has been committed to VCLFs investing in SMEs up to the end of 2015. Of this, £185 million has been committed to the North West Fund. It is expected that 40% of the North West Fund will be invested in Merseyside.
	Apprenticeships
	In addition the Government have made some £1,328 million available in the 2010-11 financial year to support apprenticeship training in England and we expect to spend over £1,400 million in the 2011 -12 financial year.
	The apprenticeships programme is demand led. Government do not plan apprenticeship funding by region. The Government funding for apprenticeships is paid directly to the organisation that provides and supports the apprenticeship training. In most cases this will be a further education college or independent learning provider.
	UK Trade and Investment
	Direct Government funding via UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) for trade development in the north-west region was £2.5 million in 2010/11 and £2.9 million has been allocated for 2011/12. In addition, businesses in the north-west may benefit from UKTI's nationally funded trade development programmes.
	Enterprise Zones
	Budget 2011 allocated £20 million (2012/13), £40 million (2013/14), £65 million (2014/15) and £80 million (2015/16) to fund delivery of Enterprise Zones.
	The Government have put forward a range of measures to develop enterprise zones and make them attractive places to do business including:
	A 100 per cent business rate discount worth up to £275,000 over a five year period (for businesses that move into an enterprise zone during the course of this Parliament).
	All business rate growth generated by the zone for a period of at least 25 years will be kept by that area.
	Local development orders are available to local authorities to establish a simplified planning regime.
	Government support to ensure that super fast broadband is rolled out throughout the zones. This will be achieved through guaranteeing the most supportive planning environment and, if necessary, public funding.
	In addition, the Government will work with individual local enterprise partnerships to consider:
	The scope for introducing enhanced capital allowances to support zones in assisted areas where there is a strong focus on high value manufacturing;
	The use of tax increment finance to support the long-term viability of the zone, in tandem with the Local Government Resource Review; and
	UKTI support on inward investment and trade opportunities.
	The first 11 local enterprise partnerships to host enterprise zones announced at Budget were: Greater Birmingham and Solihull; Leeds City Region; Sheffield City Region; Liverpool City Region; Greater Manchester; West of England; Tees Valley; North East; Black Country; Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and London.
	The open competition to identify a further 10 enterprise zones closed on 30 June with 30 bids received. All of the bids were assessed against their ability to deliver growth and jobs, their value for money and their plans for implementation.
	Following careful consideration the following local enterprise partnerships were selected to be granted an enterprise zone: Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough, The Marches, New Anglia, South East Midlands, South East (formerly East Sussex, Kent etc), Oxfordshire, Hull and the Humber, Liverpool City Region, Leicester and Leicestershire, and Solent.
	High Street Support Scheme: Support for small or medium-sized enterprises
	The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), announced on 18 August a £20 million High Street Support Scheme, jointly funded by BIS, to give grants to local firms affected by the riots for out-of-pocket expenses. The scheme is being administered through local authorities.

Copyright

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on fair use in copyright law.

Edward Davey: The Hargreaves review of intellectual property and growth was charged in its terms of reference with a number of aims, including investigating what are the benefits of “fair use” exceptions to copyright and how these might be achieved in the UK. The review concluded that a broad legal mechanism similar to US fair use would not be practical within the EU framework, but that there is a need for more flexibility in order to meet new opportunities. Therefore the review recommended that the UK should make more use of the freedoms available within the EU framework, including permitting consumers to make private copies of copyright works in order to use them within fair and reasonable limits.
	The Government have accepted the conclusions and recommendations of the review. The Government have no intention of prejudicing the fundamental role of copyright in providing appropriate incentives for the creation of valuable works, on which much value for the UK depends. We nonetheless believe the review is right to identify activities that copyright currently over-regulates unnecessarily to the detriment of the UK, and we will propose a substantial opening up of the UK's copyright exceptions regime, as set out in our response to the review. The Government will also press at EU level for a wider set of exceptions to secure further flexibilities without prejudicing appropriate incentives for creation of works.

Departmental Responsibilities

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Minister for Universities and Science first met representatives of (a) LCU Business School, (b) Tribal Education, (c) Edison Education, (d) Career Education, (e) BPP/Apollo, (f) Laurette, (g) Bridgepoint and (h) the Education Centre of Excellence following his appointment; and whether subsequent meetings have taken place.

David Willetts: I have not met with representatives of LCU Business School, nor with representatives of Tribal Education, Edison Education, Career Education, Bridgepoint and the Education Centre of Excellence I met with representatives of BPP as a part of a wider meeting on 12 July 2010. I met with representatives of Laureate on 15 September 2010 and on 1 February 2011. I met with representatives of Apollo and BPP on 10 May 2011.
	A quarterly-updated list of all BIS ministerial meetings with external organisations is also available at:
	http://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/disclosure-ministerial-hospitality-received-department-for-business

English Language: Education

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18 July 2011, Official Report, columns 59-60WS, on English for speakers of other languages, what resource allocation (a) his Department and (b) the Department for Communities and Local Government are to make to facilitate education for those (i) women and (ii) others identified as requiring additional support in order to ensure their competence in the English language; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: As part of the Government agenda to support unemployed people into work we will fully fund units and full qualifications for people in receipt of jobseekers' allowance and employment support allowance (in the Work Related Activity Group) to help them enter and stay in work. FE colleges and training organisations also have local discretion to provide fully subsidised courses for people on a wider range of benefits where the training is to help them enter employment.
	The Government will continue to fund 50% of the cost of English for Speakers of Other Languages training for eligible people who are settled here, with individuals expected to meet the remainder of the costs. We will no longer fund ESOL in the workplace. This contributes to our broader objective of establishing a fairer balance between the investment made in skills by Government, the employer and the learner.
	This Department and the Department for Communities and Local Government are working in partnership to develop new forms of support for individuals who need language skills to assist with integration and community cohesion. I will announce further details in due course.

Export Controls: Iran

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether there is a legal requirement for an exporter to consult his Department before exporting goods to Iran.

Mark Prisk: If the goods or technology to be exported are specified on a UK or EU control list, or if the exporter has been informed that non-listed items may be intended for a weapons of mass destruction (WMD)-related end-use or a military end-use in an embargoed destination (such as Iran), the items can only be exported under a valid licence issued by the Export Control Organisation (ECO). If the exporter is aware that non-listed items may be intended for a WMD-related end-use or a military end-use in an embargoed destination they must notify the ECO before exporting the items and the ECO will determine whether or not an export licence is required. If the exporter has grounds for suspecting a WMD-related end-use they must not export the items unless they have made all reasonable inquiries as to their actual end-use and satisfied themselves that they will not be used for WMD-related purposes. A breach of any of the above requirements is a criminal offence. The Government offers an advice service regarding whether an export requires a licence or not, and strongly advises that any exporter who is unsure on this point should use this service.

Export Credits Guarantee

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made by his Department's cross-departmental working group established to implement the Government's decision that the Export Credits Guarantee Department and UK Trade and Investment should become champions for British companies that develop and export innovative green technologies around the world.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) are keeping officials across departments informed of their progress in supporting British companies that develop and export green technologies. As part of the low carbon priority published in its new strategy, ‘Britain Open for Business’, UKTI is delivering a green export campaign to help UK businesses through trade missions, exhibitions, keynote speeches, overseas media and press activity. ECGD is actively reaching out to exporters of renewable energy equipment and services so that they are aware of the products available from ECGD to provide them with credit protection and facilitate the provision of finance.

Higher Education: Admissions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 761W, on higher education: admissions, how many and what proportion of students (a) were from socioeconomic groups four to seven, (b) were aged 25 or older, (c) were aged 35 or older, (d) were women, (e) studied full-time, (f) lived away from home during their education, (g) studied science, technology, engineering or mathematics while at university, (h) studied languages and (i) studied a humanities subject; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The numbers and proportions of UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants to UK higher education institutions who were aged 25 or older, were 35 or older, were women, studied full-time, studied science, technology, engineering or mathematics, studied languages and studied a humanities subject are shown for the 2009/10 academic year in table 1.
	
		
			 Table 1: UK-domiciled undergraduate entrants  (1)   by age, gender, mode of study and subject area  ,   UK higher education institutions  , a  cademic year 2009/10 
			  Number Percentage of total 
			 Total entrants 750,895 — 
			 Of which:   
			 Aged 25 or older 311,600 41.5 
			 Aged 35 or older 184,680 24.6 
			 Female 448,315 59.7 
			 Studied full-time 436,125 58.1 
			 Studied a STEM(2) subject 307,290 40.9 
			 Studied Languages 44,205 5.9 
			 Studied a Humanitiest(3) subject 29,885 4.0 
			 (1) Covers entrants to full-time and part-time courses. (2 )STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Covers the following subject areas: Medicine and dentistry, Subjects allied to medicine, Biological sciences, Veterinary science, Agriculture and related subjects, Physical sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering and technology and Architecture building and planning. (3) Covers Historical and philosophical studies. Notes: 1. Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded up or down to the nearest five. 2. Percentages are based on unrounded figures and are given to one decimal place. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record 
		
	
	The numbers and proportions of UK-domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants who lived away from home during term time, and those who were from socio-economic groups four to seven are shown for the 2009/10 academic year in table 2. Socio-economic and term-time accommodation information are not available for part-time entrants.
	
		
			 Table 2: UK-domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants by term-time accommodation and socio-economic group  (1)  , UK higher education institutions,   a  cademic year 2009/10 
			  Number per cent 
			 Entrants with known term-time accommodation information 401,095 — 
			 Of which:   
			 lived away from home(2) 288,755 72.0 
			    
			 Young entrants with known socio-economic information 252,930 — 
			 Of which:   
			 from socio-economic groups four to seven(3) 77,920 30.8 
			    
			 Mature entrants with known socio-economic information 53,040 — 
			 Of which:   
			 from socio-economic groups four to seven(3) 25,575 48.2 
			 (1) Information on socio-economic class is gathered on a different basis for young (aged under 21) and mature (aged 21 and over) entrants and is shown separately in the table. Socio-economic class is derived from information on occupation: for entrants aged under 21 this is based on the occupation of their parent, and for those aged 21 and over it is based on their own occupation. (2) Covers entrants whose term-time accommodation address was recorded as institution maintained property, own residence, other rented accommodation, and private sector halls. (3) Covers the socio-economic groups Small employers & own account workers, Lower supervisory & technical occupations, Semi-routine occupations and Routine occupations. Notes: 1. Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and are rounded up or down to the nearest five.. 2. Percentages are based on unrounded figures and are given to one decimal place. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record 
		
	
	Figures are taken from the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record. Information for the 2010/11 academic year will become available from January 2012.

Higher Education: Fees and Charges

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential effect on youth unemployment of the change in higher education fee arrangements in 2012.

David Willetts: The change in the fee arrangements enables the Government to continue to finance a high number of places in higher education for students in 2012, and therefore there is expected to be no adverse impact on youth unemployment as a consequence of the change.

Insolvency

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to amend the insolvency rules to introduce a clear definition of administration expenses.

Edward Davey: The Government are listening to the views of interested stakeholders but has not yet made a decision as to what legislative change might be required. Representative bodies have been invited to provide evidence as to the practical impacts being felt as a result of a recent High Court decision in this area.

International Subscriptions

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what international subscriptions for use of equipment or facilities were funded by the research councils in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and what such subscriptions will be funded in 2011-12.

David Willetts: The following international subscriptions for use of equipment or facilities were all funded by the Research Councils in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and will be funded in 2011-12, unless stated otherwise.
	Engineering and Ph y s i cal Sciences Research Council :
	The Joint European Torus (JET) which investigates the potential of fusion power (through a grant to the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy).
	The Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe (PRACE), an initiative to allow researchers to access a world-class suite of supercomputers across Europe via a central peer review system.
	Medical Research Council:
	European Molecular Biology Laboratory
	Natural Environment Research Council:
	International Ocean Drilling Programme
	European Space Agency (ESA)
	European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT)
	ESA has transferred to the UK Space Agency with effect from 1 April 2011. EISCAT transferred to NERC (from STFC) with effect from 1 January 2010.
	Science and Technology Facilities Council:
	European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO)
	Institut Laue-Langevin
	European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
	The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN)
	European Space Agency (2009-10 and 2010-11 only). The UK Space Agency assumed responsibility for ESA for 2011-12.

Manufacturing

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has contributed funding to the Made by Britain manufacturing campaign run by the Associate Parliamentary Manufacturing Group.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has not contributed funding to this initiative.

Newcastle College: Mergers

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what legal advice he has received on the effects of a merger between Newcastle and Northumberland colleges on the promotion of competition in the further education sector in the North East.

John Hayes: Discussions on the proposed merger are still taking place between the Skills Funding Agency and Newcastle and Northumberland colleges. I will consider what additional information and advice I may need at the point I receive a recommendation from the chief executive of Skills Funding on the final merger proposal.

Newcastle College: Mergers

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has had discussions with the Office of Fair Trading on the potential effects of a merger between Newcastle and Northumberland Colleges on the promotion of competition in the further education sector in the north-east.

John Hayes: Discussions on the proposed merger are still taking place between the Skills Funding Agency and Newcastle and Northumberland Colleges. I will consider what additional information and advice I may need at the point I receive a recommendation from the chief executive of Skills Funding on the final merger proposal.

Nuclear Power

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department provided for research into nuclear energy in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and how much such funding he plans to provide in 2011-12.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills does not directly provide funding for research into nuclear energy. The Department provides funding to the research councils and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) which then provide a range of support.
	The Research Councils UK (RCUK) Energy Programme will invest £540 million in energy related research between 2011-15, which includes research and training related to nuclear fission energy.
	The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) spent £6.4 million on nuclear fission in 2009-10 and £6.5 million in 2010-11. It is not possible to give precise figures for future spend on nuclear fission. Priorities for the whole RCUK Energy Programme will be regularly reviewed with advice from the programme's Scientific Advisory Council. In addition the EPSRC spends £25 million per year on nuclear fusion energy research, primarily through the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy.
	The Economic and Social Research Council spent approximately £335,000 on nuclear energy related research in 2009-10 and £4,000 in 2010-11. It is not possible to give precise figures for future spend on nuclear energy. Future spend will be determined by the proposals for funding received.
	In addition to the funding within its nuclear physics programme, which examines how atomic nuclei behave and the origin of elements, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) provided £2 million in 2009-10, £1.5 million in 2010-11 and £0.5 million in 2011-12 for the HiPER project. HiPER is a proposed European High Power Laser Energy Research facility dedicated to demonstrating the feasibility of laser driven fusion as a future energy source. Between 2009 and 2011 STFC provided £424,000 to a pilot Knowledge Exchange grant for the project 'Using Thorium as fuel in conventional Reactors'.
	The Technology Strategy Board have provided approximately £200,000 in 2010-11 for Nuclear R&D feasibility studies under their £2 million competition to develop innovation in the supply chain with the remainder of this funding expected to be drawn down in 2011-12. Furthermore, some of the funding, which is currently being finalised, for the High Value Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centre will support the work of the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. The Technology Strategy Board also plan a further £10 million Collaborative R&D competition in 2012.

Ordnance Survey: Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by Ordnance Survey using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Edward Davey: This is an operational matter for the Ordnance Survey. I have asked Vanessa Lawrence CB, Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey to write to my hon. Friend. A copy will be placed in the libraries of the House.
	Letter from Dr Vanessa Lawrence CB, dated 2 September 2011
	As Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey, I have been asked to reply to your question on transactions undertaken by Ordnance Survey using the Government Procurement Card in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.
	An electronic copy of this information has been placed in the House of Commons Library. For each transaction this includes the date of purchase, amount and supplier. Information on the “level 3 or enhanced transaction entry” is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost; however, the broad category of spend under which each transaction has been allocated is included.
	Use of the Government Procurement Card reduces administrative costs and helps to ensure payments to suppliers are made promptly. The GPC card system provides the most efficient way for Ordnance Survey to make payment for low value items only, I hope this information is helpful to you.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact on small and medium-sized enterprises of not being able to bid directly to the Regional Growth Fund.

Mark Prisk: No assessment has been made as small and medium-sized enterprises can bid directly to the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) either on their own or they may come together to submit a package of projects which make a coherent whole but which individually would not meet the minimum bidding threshold of £1 million. Furthermore, four out of the 50 successful bids to Round 1 were conditionally allocated funding for small and medium enterprise support schemes. RGF funding for these four schemes totals £175 million, which was almost 40% of all the funds allocated (£450 million) in Round 1.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the demand for funding from a third round of the Regional Growth Fund following the most recent growth forecast by the Office of Budget Responsibility.

Mark Prisk: No formal assessment of demand for funding from a third round of the Regional Growth Fund has been made.

Small Businesses: Civil Disorder

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to prioritise small and medium-sized businesses which have been adversely affected by the August 2011 public disorders.

Mark Prisk: The Government have already introduced a number of measures to support businesses affected by the recent public disorder between 6 and 11 August.
	Government are giving £20 million to local authorities, under the High Street Support Scheme, to help affected small and medium-sized businesses and commercial districts get back on their feet following the recent disorder.
	This funding will be administered by local authorities and is being provided to:
	help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) get back on their feet more quickly, including with cash flow problems, while they wait for insurance or other claims to be met;
	help SMEs with non- refundable exceptional business expenses;
	help rebuild business confidence in the area affected; and
	help fund the full costs to local authorities of providing Business Rate Hardship Relief.
	SMEs who have suffered loss or damage to property as a result of the disturbance can seek compensation from their police authority under the Riot Damages Act (1886). The Home Secretary has extended the period to claim to 42 days.
	The Government have also ensured that affected businesses have access to practical advice, information and support and this is available on:
	www.BusinessLink.gov.uk
	These measures are set out in the written ministerial statement on Public Disorder—Support for Business laid before the House of Commons on 11 August 2011, Official Report, columns 119-21WS.

Students: Assessments

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students affected by examination board errors were not accepted by their first choice of university in August 2011.

David Willetts: Higher education institutions have until 14 September to process decisions on the conditional choices held by applicants. The information requested about university destinations is therefore not currently available.
	UCAS was in close contact with Ofqual in the run-up to A level results day and the regulators (Ofqual in England, CCEA in Northern Ireland and DfES in Wales) oversaw the actions that each awarding organisation took in relation to the examination paper errors. On 5 August, Ofqual issued a statement confirming that they were satisfied that everything that could be done had been done to make sure that, as far as possible, candidates had not been unfairly advantaged or disadvantaged and that there was a level playing field.
	In addition, it should be borne in mind that there may be many reasons why individuals have been not accepted by their first choice university, and it should not be assumed that there is a direct link between an applicant sitting a paper with an error and them failing to secure a place at their firm choice.

Students: Illnesses

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many higher education students suspended their studies due to illness or incapacity in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects information on the number of students who suspend their studies, however the reason for suspension is not recorded. Figures are given for all students who suspended their studies in the academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10.

Unemployment: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess trends in underemployment in Scotland.

John Hayes: Skills funding and provision are a devolved activity and I would advise the hon. Member to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (Michael Russell MSP) at the Scottish Parliament.

EDUCATION

Academies: Pay

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what requirement there is upon academies to pay staff earning less than £21,000 a year the £250 uplift in accordance with Government policy on the public sector pay freeze; how many such academy staff have not received the uplift; which academies have not paid the uplift to such staff; and what monitoring his Department has put in place on the payment of uplifts to academy staff.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 5 September 2011
	Academies are publicly funded independent schools and are not covered by public sector pay arrangements. Governing bodies for academies are free to set the pay and conditions that are appropriate for their school and are able to make their own decisions on how to respond to the public sector pay freeze.
	The Department collects details on the salaries of staff in maintained schools and academies annually, through the School Workforce Census, to aid strategic planning for the school work force. The census does not collect information in the detail necessary to identify whether academies are imposing a pay freeze or paying support staff earning less than £21,000 a £250 pay increase.

Apprentices

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of (a) 16 and (b) 17 year olds are undertaking an apprenticeship.

John Hayes: holding answer 18 July 2011
	The following table shows the number and percentage of apprenticeship starts in England by age in 2009/10, the latest year for which we have full year data.
	
		
			 Apprenticeship programme starts by age, 2009/10 and population estimates for 2010 
			  Apprenticeship starts Percentage of all apprenticeship starts 2010 England population Percentage of apprenticeship starts in 2010 England population 
			 16 29,380 10.5 633,000 5 
			 17 40,780 14.6 646,000 6 
			 16-18 116,800 41.8 1,953,700 6 
			 Total 279,700 100.0 — — 
			 Notes: 1. Apprenticeship figures are rounded to the nearest 10 apart from the total which is rounded to the nearest 100. England population figures (ONS population estimates, 2010) are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Percentages are based on unrounded figures. 3. Apprenticeship age is calculated based on age at start of the programme. Source: Individualised Learner Record and ONS population estimates, 2010. 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23 June 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Apprentices: Tower Hamlets

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of people aged 16 to 18 years who (a) began and (b) completed an apprenticeship in (i) the London borough of Tower Hamlets and (ii) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency in each year since 2005-06.

John Hayes: The following table shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts and framework achievements by 16 to 18-year old learners in Bethnal Green and Bow constituency and Tower Hamlets local education authority for academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10, the latest year for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Apprenticeship framework starts and achievements in Tower Hamlets local education authority and Bethnal Green and Bow parliamentary constituency by 16 to 18-year-olds, 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			   2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 
			 Tower Hamlets local education authority Starts 280 230 210 250 320 
			  Achievements 120 100 100 120 140 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow constituency Starts 130 110 80 130 140 
			  Achievements 60 40 40 60 70 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Geographic information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. These figures are based on the geographic boundaries of parliamentary constituencies as of May 2010. 4. Age is calculated based on age at start of the programme. 5. 16 to 18-year-old learners include a small number of learners who are aged under 16. Source: Individualised Learner Record. 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 23June 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Discretionary Grants: Tower Hamlets

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when his Department expects to inform schools and further education colleges in (a) the London borough of Tower Hamlets and (b) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency of their allocation of discretionary learner support.

Nick Gibb: The Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) notified schools, colleges and training providers of their 2011/12 funding allocation for the new 16 to 19 Bursary Fund on 17 June 2011.

Drugs: Misuse

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children and young people are prescribed methadone under National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse regimes; and what procedures are in place to assist such people in ending drug use.

Sarah Teather: The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) collects information on the number of young people in specialist substance misuse services in England. In 2009-10, there were 480 young people under 18 in treatment who had opiates as their main problem drug and, of these, 294 received pharmacological interventions. NDTMS does not distinguish between opiate substitute drugs (such as methadone or buprenorphine), other prescribed drugs (such as Ritalin for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), or what they are prescribed for (in this context it could include prescribing for detoxification, stabilisation and symptomatic relief of substance misuse). Information on the doses prescribed is not recorded within NDTMS nor held centrally.
	Young people's substance misuse is markedly different to that of adults. Young people tend to have shorter histories of substance use and have used lower levels of drugs for shorter periods. They are therefore much less likely to be physically dependent. 2% of young people in treatment in 2009-10 had heroin or crack cocaine as their primary problem substance.
	Substitute prescribing for under-18s is therefore rare, and it is expected that if young people are receiving substitute prescribing, it should normally be as part of a reduction or detoxification programme. Most substance misuse interventions for young people focus on psychosocial counselling-based therapies aimed at achieving abstinence.
	This is supported by NDTMS figures, which show that of the 294 young people with opiate problems receiving pharmacological interventions in 2009/10, 78 were continuously receiving these interventions a year later. This suggests that of the total 23,528 young people receiving interventions for substance misuse, 0.3% were prescribed methadone or other substitute opioids on a maintenance basis.

Drugs: Misuse

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate has been made of the average cost per week of a drug addiction care plan for a young person in a care home or the secure estate.

Sarah Teather: Information on costs specifically relating to a drug addiction care plan is not held centrally.
	The full average cost of care in a local authority children's home is £2,881 per resident week, including external services.
	In 2009-10, the full average annual cost of a placement in the secure estate was £59,000 for a young offender institute, £163,000 for a secure training centre and £219,000 for a secure children's home.

Drugs: Misuse

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what qualifications are required of those who work on delivery of drug addiction treatment to young people in the secure estate and care homes.

Sarah Teather: Expectations for staff competencies and staff development in the secure estate are set out in the national specification for substance misuse:
	http://yjbpublications.justice.gov.uk/Scripts/prodView.asp? idproduct=443&eP
	For children's homes the National Minimum Standards set out the qualifications and staffing arrangement required. These are available via the following link:
	https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrdering Download/NMS%20Children's%20Homes.pdf
	Standards 17 and 18 specify the qualifications and training for those working in children's homes and standard 14 specifies the minimum qualifications for managing the administration of a children's home.
	Specialist substance misuse staff may also be working in conjunction with residential staff where required.

Drugs: Misuse

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what residential rehabilitation facilities are available to those under 18 years of age with substance addictions.

Sarah Teather: Young people with very complex needs, including substance misuse, who require a residential placement can be supported in a range of settings including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services or, for looked after children, a children's home or intensive fostering placement. However, such placements will be made after a full assessment of the child's needs have been carried out, rather than an assessment of their drug and alcohol use alone.
	Some adult residential rehabilitation facilities also accept young people aged 17 where a placement is deemed suitable.
	Young people's drug and alcohol related needs differ considerably from those of adults. 2% of young people in treatment in 2009-10 had heroin or crack cocaine as their primary problem substance, with the vast majority (91%) accessing services due to cannabis or alcohol misuse.
	Young people have, typically, been misusing drugs or alcohol for a much shorter period of time and very few have developed a dependency to the point that residential rehabilitation facilities, such as those used for adult dependency are required.

Drugs: Misuse

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what types of drug addiction treatment are offered to young people in care homes and the secure estate;
	(2)  what type of care plan is provided for young people with a drug addiction in the secure estate and care homes; and what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of such plans.

Sarah Teather: Looked after children, including those in children's homes or in intensive fostering placements, who are misusing drugs or alcohol should have access to the full range of support services provided by the local young people's substance misuse service. These include psychosocial interventions (such as counselling), family support and pharmacological interventions for those few young people who need them. These should be provided on an “in-reach” basis to the children's home where appropriate.
	For young people with very complex needs their care plans should consider the full range of their needs and set clear objectives for the end of their drug and alcohol treatment. Local commissioners will need to consider the full range of need carefully for looked after children before making an appropriate residential placement.
	All young people entering custody are screened for substance misuse and those with identified needs should have a care plan in place that considers the full range of their substance misuse and associated needs, as well as their resettlement back into the community.
	The national specification for substance misuse sets out the guidelines for young people in the secure estate and the support that should be available:
	http://yjbpublications.justice.gov.uk/Scripts/prodView.asp? idproduct=443&eP

Education Maintenance Allowance

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne, (b) Northumberland and (c) North Tyneside constituency were in receipt of education maintenance allowance in academic year 2010-11; and how many students in each area he estimates will receive 16 to 19 bursaries in 2011-12.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA’s chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for North Tyneside with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 16 () August 2011
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ69589 that asks;
	“How many students in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne, (b) Northumberland and (c) North Tyneside constituency were in receipt of education maintenance allowance in academic year 2010-11; and how many students in each area he estimates will receive 16 to 19 bursaries in 2011-2012.”
	As at the 31 July 2011 the number of young people who had received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) was as follows:
	a. Newcastle upon Tyne: 3,618;
	b. Northumberland: 3,596;
	c. North Tyneside: 2,589.
	In each case, figures refer to the local authority area. Information is not available at levels below local authority such as Parliamentary constituencies. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year concerned.
	EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments, broken down by local authority, during 2010/11 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
	http://ema.ypla.gov.uk/resources/research/takeup/
	Further information on take up for 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 can also be found on that website.
	It is not possible to say how many young people will receive 16-19 bursaries in the 2011/12 academic year. Schools, colleges, Academies and training providers will be able to determine their own criteria for eligibility for discretionary bursaries, and for deciding the level of awards. Therefore the YPLA does not hold data about the number of young people that are expected to benefit from the bursary scheme in each local authority area. We expect that in many cases providers will want to agree a consistent approach across an area, taking account of the needs and circumstances of young people locally.

Education Maintenance Allowance: Tower Hamlets

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress his Department has made in its investigation into the effects of changes to education maintenance allowance in the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

Nick Gibb: Schools, colleges and training providers in Tower Hamlets will receive £695,860 in 2011/12 under the arrangements for the new 16 to 19 Bursary Fund. In addition, all young people in Tower Hamlets who first applied successfully for EMA in 2009/10, and the majority of those who first did so in 2010/11, will continue to receive weekly payments via the nationally administered transitional arrangements in 2011/12.
	As the new arrangements take effect we will be monitoring participation data closely, including relating to London boroughs. We also expect to undertake a formal evaluation of the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, which will allow us to consider its impact in more detail. We have at present no evidence that the introduction of the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund has had an impact on participation in education and training post-16 in Tower Hamlets.

Music: Education

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of peripatetic music lessons per student for (a) primary and (b) secondary age pupils in (i) England, (ii) west midlands and (iii) Dudley borough for the school year 2011-12;
	(2)  what the cost was of peripatetic music lessons per student for (a) primary and (b) secondary age pupils in (i) England, (ii) west midlands and (iii) Dudley borough in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: Local authorities are responsible for arranging the provision of music instrument lessons and for setting the charges for these lessons which historically have often been paid for by parents. Information on the cost of peripatetic music lessons is not collected by or held centrally by the Department for Education but the total number of children in England taking music lessons in 2010 was just over 1.1 million at a cost of £219 million.

Music: Education

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to encourage the uptake of music education in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Nick Gibb: We want every child to learn a musical instrument and to sing. We are committed to significant public expenditure in providing music services because we are determined that every child will have access to a quality music education, including those from families that cannot afford to pay for private lessons. We have protected money to the front line, and we shall be setting out our detailed proposals, later this year, in a national plan for music education. This will include our proposals for encouraging the uptake of good quality music education in state funded schools.

Music: Education

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from representatives of (a) parents, (b) teaching unions, (c) local authorities and (d) head teachers regarding the effects on music education of changes in the level of spending on schools.

Nick Gibb: In addition to the 900 responses to the call of evidence for Mr Darren Henley's review of music education in 2010, the Department for Education received between January and July this year almost 400 items of correspondence from people concerned about music education. It would be a disproportionate cost to the Department to break these down by type of correspondent.
	In response to Mr Henley's review of music education, the Government made clear their commitment to ensuring every child experiences a sound music education with opportunities to learn to play a musical instrument and to sing. In addition to announcing a funding settlement for music education of £82.5 million for 2011-12, the Government pledged to eliminate historical discrepancies in funding. Moving to a more transparent funding formula has resulted in some local authorities receiving an increase in funding, while we have guaranteed that no local authority would lose more than 10% of its funding compared to 2010-11. The majority of the funding for 2011-12 will go to the front line to deliver music education.

Schools: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much central Government resource funding was allocated to schools in York in each year since 1996-97; and how much he plans to allocate in each year of the comprehensive spending review period in (a) cash and (b) real terms (i) in total and (ii) per pupil.

Nick Gibb: The per pupil and total revenue funding figures, from the Department to local authorities, for pupils aged three to 19 for York for years 1997-98 to 2005-06 are as follows.
	These figures are in cash terms:
	
		
			 Local authority total revenue funding (cash) 
			  1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 
			 York (£ per pupil) 2,286 2,409 2,574 2,827 2,994 3,160 3,325 3,545 3,813 
			 York (£ million total) 54.864 58.637 63.343 71.074 76.304 80.298 84.259 88.958 94.345 
		
	
	These figures are in real terms:
	
		
			 Local authority total revenue funding (real) 
			  1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 
			 York (£ per pupil) 3,131 3,230 3,385 3,670 3,801 3,887 3,978 4,127 4,360 
		
	
	
		
			 York (£ million total) 75.131 78.638 83.311 92.268 96.890 98.781 100.809 103.552 107.866 
			 Notes: 1. Price Base: Real terms at 2010-11 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 29 June 2011. 2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of Standard Spending Assessment/Education Formula Spending (EFS) settlements and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and YPLA. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfE Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to pupils aged three to 19 and exclude Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level. 4. Where responsibility for funding a school has transferred from an authority, related funding no longer appears in the series. 5. The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures to £ per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC three-year-old maintained pupils and estimated three to four-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers. 6. Rounding: Total figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million, per pupil figures are rounded to the nearest £10. 
		
	
	The total revenue per pupil figures shown in the following table are taken from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). They are not comparable with those for the years 1997-98 to 2005-06 because the introduction of the DSG in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded.
	The 1997-98 to 2005-06 figures are based on Education Formula Spending (EFS) which formed the education part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, plus various grants. This was an assessment of what local authorities needed to fund education rather than what they spent. The DSG is based largely on an authority's previous spending. In addition, the DSG has a different coverage to EFS. EFS comprised a schools block and an LEA block (to cover LEA central functions) whereas DSG only covers the school block. LEA block items are still funded through DCLG's Local Government Finance Settlement but education items cannot be separately identified. Consequently, there is a break in the Department's time series as the two sets of data are not comparable. An alternative time series is currently under development.
	To provide a comparison for 2006-07 DSG, the Department have isolated the schools block equivalent funding in 2005-06; as described above this does not represent the totality of 'education' funding in that year.
	The total and per pupil revenue funding figures for years 2005-06 to 2010-11 for York are provided in the following table. The figures shown are for all funded pupils aged three to 19 and are in cash terms:
	
		
			 Local authority total revenue funding (DSG + grants cash) 
			  2005-06 (Baseline) 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 York (£ per pupil) 3,730 3,900 4,160 4,380 4,580 4,790 
			 York (£ million total) 92.229 95.594 100.277 104.299 108.066 114.338 
		
	
	These figures are in real terms:
	
		
			 Local   authority total revenue funding (DSG + grants real) 
			  2005-06   (  Baseline  ) 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 York (£ per pupil) 4,260 4,320 4,470 4,580 4,720 4,780 
			 York (£ million total) 105.447 105.744 107.835 109.141 111.271 114.235 
			 Notes: 1. This covers funding through the Dedicated Schools Grant, School Standards Grant, School Standards Grant (Personalisation) and Standards Fund as well as funding from the Learning and Skills Council; it excludes grants which are not allocated at LA level. 2. Price Base: Real terms at 2010-11 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 29 June 2011. 3. These figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 19. 4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10. 5. Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal.

Special Educational Needs

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what role local authorities will have in co-ordinating specialist support for pupils with special educational needs between schools, health services and other services.

Sarah Teather: The special educational needs (SEN) and disability Green Paper, “Support and aspiration”, set out a strong strategic role for local authorities in England acting as the champions of vulnerable children, including those with SEN, and their families. The three core features of this role will be: working with local partners, such as Health and Wellbeing Boards, to plan strategically for services to meet the needs of local communities; commissioning high quality provision for disabled children and those with SEN; and enabling families to make informed choices and exercise greater control over services, by, for example, setting out a local offer of provision for these children.
	For individual children who require specialist support, local authorities will be an important agency, working with the voluntary sector and others, in arranging a single assessment process, drawing up Education, Health and Care Plans and agreeing on responsibility among the agencies involved for making the provision set out on the plan.
	The Department is considering responses to the Green Paper and the Government will be publishing their plans for the future of SEN and disability provision in England by the end of the year.

Special Educational Needs

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to ensure that implementation of the proposal in his Department's Special Educational Needs Green Paper to remove the bias toward inclusions of pupils with special educational needs does not prevent such pupils from accessing mainstream education.

Sarah Teather: The proposals set out in the special educational needs and disability Green Paper, “Support and aspiration”, will not lead to any lessening of parents', rights. In the move from SEN statements to Education, Health and Care Plans parents will retain the right to request a mainstream education for their children if that is what they want and local authorities will still be under a conditional duty to send those children to mainstream schools and those schools will be under a duty, or obligation in the case of academies, to admit the child.
	Except in prescribed circumstances, children with SEN but without statements must be educated in mainstream schools and this will continue to be the case following introduction of the new plans.

Special Educational Needs

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the evaluation of special educational needs personal budget pilots will consider the role of local authorities in developing a market from which parents can choose an appropriate range of services.

Sarah Teather: The Green Paper “Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability” (SEND) (March 2011) outlined proposals to improve the current support system for families, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in England.
	We are commissioning a series of SEND pathfinders to test out a range of new and innovative approaches to improve services, including the use of special educational needs personal budgets. I can confirm that the national evaluation study, commissioned to underpin the SEND pathfinder programme, will consider the local authority role in developing markets to support special educational needs personal budgets.

Special Educational Needs: Autism

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking in response to the conclusions and recommendations relating to autism in the National Autistic Society's report on special educational needs entitled Great Expectations.

Sarah Teather: The National Autistic Society's report Great Expectations was published in response to the special educational needs and disability Green Paper and it showed that there was welcome support from parents for important proposals in the Green Paper.
	Recommendations in the society's report, such as the call for schools to have access to autism specialists, are addressed by proposals in the Green Paper, such as those for outstanding special schools, including autism specialist schools, to become Teaching Schools, developing their own staff alongside staff in schools throughout their network and sharing their expertise.
	Great Expectations is being considered alongside other responses to the Green Paper and the Government will be setting out its plans for special educational needs and disability provision in England by the end of the year.

Vocational Guidance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the outcome was of the careers summit which took place in his Department on 15 July 2011; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: holding answer 5 September 2011
	The outcomes of the careers summit on 15 July 2011 have been published on the Local Government Association’s Communities of Practice website, available via
	www.communities.idea.gov.uk

TRANSPORT

Agility Trains

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what dates he has met representatives of Agility Trains since May 2010.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State has met with representatives of Agility Trains, a consortium of Hitachi Rail Europe and John Laing Investments, four times since May 2010. Details of the Secretary of State's diary commitments are published quarterly on the DfT website.

Biofuels

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many companies have (a) received and (b) applications pending for funding under the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan for the development of biofuels from (i) waste, (ii) residues, (iii) non-food cellulosic feedstocks and (iv) lignocellulosic feedstocks.

Norman Baker: The Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) is the European Union's vision for accelerating the development and deployment of cost-effective low carbon technologies. The SET Plan is not a funding body but rather the umbrella title for research and demonstration activities. Funding for activities promoted under the SET Plan may be provided from any of a number of sources, including the European Union's Framework Programme 7, individual European member states and private industry. Many of these sources have an interest in research and demonstration activity that predates the SET Plan.
	In the last three years Framework Programme 7 has awarded support to 11 projects involving UK organisations for biofuel research and development. Two further bids are currently being assessed. This has provided at least 7 million euros of support to UK institutions. However, it is likely that not all of this work is directly related to the SET Plan initiative as Framework Programme 7 has a wider scope. The Department for Transport itself does not provide any direct funding for SET Plan activities and we do not have a role in the funding decisions of other bodies that may fund this work.

Cycling

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the involvement of employers in the promotion of cycling as a means of transport to work; how many meetings he has had with employer organisations on promoting cycling in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: It is good that many employers help their staff to cycle to and from work.
	We see encouraging cycling and walking, along with improving public transport, as key to cutting carbon emissions and enhancing the quality of our urban areas. The Local Sustainable Transport Fund makes £560 million available over the period 2011-2015 to support growth and cut carbon through transport initiatives. Many of the bids to the fund have involved partnership arrangements with local employers, which we view positively.
	Earlier this year I met with Business for Life, and encouraged them to sign up to the Cycle to Work Guarantee, which forms part of the Department for Health-led Public Health Responsibility Deal.
	The Department also funds the National Business Travel Network (NBTN). NBTN launched a DfT part funded “ways2work” tool kit in November 2010 to help people and businesses work more efficiently. The tool kit includes a section on encouraging cycling to work.

Cycling

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of people taking part in the Cycle to Work scheme.

Norman Baker: There are no precise figures for the number of people taking up Cycle to Work schemes as the tax allowance is covered by an exemption meaning employers do not have to make an annual tax return regarding the benefit.
	The Cycle to Work Alliance, made up of the four largest Cycle to Work scheme administrators (Cycle Scheme, Halfords, Evans and Cycle Solutions), report helping over 400,000 people take advantage of the scheme.

Departmental Correspondence

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters his Department received from hon. Members in June 2011.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport received 1,462 letters from hon. Members in June 2011.

Departmental Procurement

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the annual value is of his Department's current contracts in each sector in which contracts are held.

Norman Baker: The annual value of my Department's current contracts in each sector in which contracts are held is shown in the following table. The category structure is based on the PSPES (Public Sector Procurement Expenditure Survey) taxonomy.
	
		
			 PSPES Category Level 1 Amount (£) 
			 Construction 1,156,508,494 
			 Energy and Utilities 27,024,294 
			 Engineering Goods 0 
			 Facilities 29,241,654 
			 Fuels Lubricants and Gases 882,008 
			 ICT 174,458,014 
			 Logistics 444,569 . 
			 Marketing and Media 4,884,678 
			 Not in PSPES 34,848,115 
			 Office Solutions 73,661,694 
			 Operational Goods and Services 41,902,129 
			 Personnel Related 2,080,512 
			 Professional Services—Financial 12,884,712 
			 Professional Services—Learning and Development 4,061,991 
			 Professional Services—Technical Services 116,741,258 
			 Professional Services—Consultancy 4,579,514 
			 Professional Services—Other 29,483,439 
			 Professional Services—Temporary Staff 1,551,689 
			 Social Care 20,310,415 
			 Travel and Events 5,105,826 
			 Uncategorised 32,840,306 
			 Vehicles 10,007,021 
			 Waste Management 158,061 
			 Clinical and Medical 157,000

Departmental Procurement

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methodology (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible used to estimate savings to the public purse made in respect of its procurement and purchasing since May 2010.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport and its non-departmental bodies followed Office of Government Commerce methodology for estimating savings made via its procurement and purchasing. Cash savings were measured against the indicative contract budget, the initial tendered price and the final price following negotiation.

Electric Vehicles

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the UK Renewable Energy Roadmap published on 12 July 2011 assumes the 25 per cent. grant for eligible ultra-low carbon vehicles will continue beyond January 2012.

Norman Baker: Last year's spending review announcement confirmed that Government have made provision to support the Plug-in Car Grant consumer incentive for ultra low emission vehicles for the life of this Parliament. This is referred to in the UK Renewable Energy Roadmap.
	To ensure continued value for money for the taxpayer, the scheme, and the level of subsidy provided, will be regularly reviewed; with the first review of the Plug-In Car Grant taking place in January 2012.

Government Car and Despatch Agency

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue the Government Car and Despatch Agency received from each Government Department in respect of its (a) allocated service and (b) ministerial car pool in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: Details on the revenue that the Government Car and Despatch Agency received from each Government Department for both allocated and ministerial car pool services for the period 2010 to 2011 will be published in a written ministerial statement to the House in due course.

Invalid Vehicles: Public Transport

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to his Department's review of legislation on powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs, whether the national strategy for carrying mobility scooters on public transport vehicles will consider plating wheelchairs that are suitable to be carried on public transport.

Norman Baker: My Department recognises the need for consistency when it comes to the carriage of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters on public transport, so people can be confident of whether their vehicle can be accommodated.
	The consultation on the review of legislation around electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters did not address the issue of carriage on public transport, but, as recommended by the Transport Select Committee, we are now addressing this. We will be working with industry and users to look at the practicality of a plating system, and an announcement will be made once all the issues have been considered.

Metals: Theft

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of metal theft was to projects and infrastructure maintained or administered by his Department in each of the last six years.

Norman Baker: I regret that the information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Motorways: Speed Limits

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what analysis his Department has conducted on the potential effects on the level of (a) fatalities, (b) serious casualties and (c) slight casualties of an increase in motorway speed limits to 80 mph.

Michael Penning: The Department is conducting analysis of the effects of a change in the motorway speed limit but we do not yet have the results that show what the impact on casualties would be.

Noise: Pollution

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requirements there are on his Department's agencies to seek to alleviate levels of environmental noise in First Priority Location identified by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in its noise mapping.

Norman Baker: The Highways Agency is the DfT agency that has direct responsibility for managing traffic noise in First Priority Locations.
	The Highways Agency is required to investigate First Priority Locations identified by DEFRA under the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations (2006).
	These regulations require strategic noise maps and action plans to be prepared for urban areas (agglomerations), major roads, major railways and major airports. England's Noise Action Plans were formally adopted by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs on Monday 15 March 2010.

Northern Franchise

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money his Department has received under revenue sharing arrangements from the Northern franchise in each year since the Northern franchise was granted.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has received the following revenue sharing receipts from the Northern franchise:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2006-07 6,747 
			 2007-08 7,836 
			 2008-09 10,804 
			 2009-10 10,995 
		
	
	The revenue share for 2010-11 has yet to be finalised.

Railways: Cardiff

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which train manufacturers he has met to discuss bidding for the Intercity Express Programme trains planned to operate on the electrified line to Cardiff; and on how many occasions he has met each such manufacturer since May 2010.

Theresa Villiers: Since May 2010 the Secretary of State has met with Hitachi, the appointed manufacturer to Agility Trains, who are the preferred bidding consortium for the Intercity Express Programme contract, appointed in 2009 to discuss the procurement process that is nearing completion. A record of these meetings is in my answer given today (UIN 61258).
	Within this period the Secretary of State has also met once with representatives of each of Bombardier, Alstom, and Siemens, each of whom pre-qualified for the Intercity Express Programme as part of other consortia.

Railways: Diesel Fuel

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the use of diesel Pacer railbuses after 2019.

Theresa Villiers: The deployment of rolling stock is typically a matter for train operators and Rolling Stock Leasing companies, with the Department's role being limited to ensuring that tax-payers and fare-payers receive value for money.
	The expansion in the number of electrified rail routes may mean that fewer diesel trains will be needed in the future.
	The Department has set out the level of accessibility that it expects Pacers to have if they are to remain in service after 2019—it will be for the owners to decide whether to invest in life-extension works. Indeed, one has already released images of interior refurbishment concepts.

Railways: Greater Manchester

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish details of the effects on train services to Manchester and the North West of England of the completion of a high speed line to Manchester and Leeds.

Philip Hammond: Subject to the outcome of the public consultation, HS2 would result in faster and more frequent services between London and cities in the North West. A full ‘Y’ shaped high speed network to Manchester and Leeds would be able to accommodate trains that can carry up to 1,100 people from Manchester to London in one hour 13 minutes, and from Manchester to Birmingham in 49 minutes. In addition, high speed services through-running onto the conventional network would be able to reach other towns and cities in the North West, for example reducing the journey time between London and Liverpool to as little as one hour 37 minutes.
	As per the illustrative service specification for the ‘Y’ network outlined in the Economic Case for the Government's proposals for High Speed 2, there would be four high speed services an hour to Manchester from London in the peak, two services an hour from Birmingham to Manchester, two services an hour from London to Liverpool (with intermediate stops at Stafford, Crewe, and Runcorn and Warrington) and two services an hour in the peak from London to Wigan, Preston and Glasgow.
	In addition, HS2 would free up capacity on existing rail lines which will provide more space for better and new services, including services to and from the North West.

Railways: North West

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to extend high speed services to the North West.

Philip Hammond: The Government's proposed strategy for high speed rail is to construct a Y-shaped network linking directly to Manchester and Leeds. This would be able to accommodate 400 m trains carrying up to 1,100 people, enabling a significant increase in capacity to Manchester, as well as reducing the journey time to London to around 73 minutes. Other destinations in the North West such as Liverpool or Preston could also see significant capacity and journey time improvements via high speed services through-running onto the conventional network.
	In addition, even the opening of the initial London to West Midlands phase of the proposed network would see through-running high speed trains serving Manchester, Liverpool and other cities in the North West of England.

Rescue Services

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what would be the operational responsibilities of coastguards based in the (a) Maritime Operations Centre and (b) Maritime Rescue Sub-centres under the revised proposals for the future of the Coastguard service.

Michael Penning: The operational responsibilities and skill levels of Coastguards at a Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) and a Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) are the same and are described within the original consultation document published on 16 December 2010, pages 26 to 28.
	The concept of operations is further explained in the supporting documentation to the second consultation document published on 14 July 2011 which may be found on pages 2 to 6 at:
	www.dft.gov.uk/mca/supporting_documentation-3.pdf

Roads: Schools

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) name and (b) address is of each school within 150 metres of a road which carries on average over 10,000 vehicles per day.

Norman Baker: The Department does not hold the information in the form requested, and I regret it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many carriages the Thameslink programme will release for redeployment in each year between 2013 and 2018.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 6 September 2011
	No existing carriages will be redeployed in 2013 or 2014 as the first of the new Thameslink trains are not expected to enter service until early 2015 with all trains (around 1,200 vehicles) expected to be operating in time for the December 2018 timetable. The exact detail of the deployment and roll-out of the new trains is currently being developed.
	The redeployment of existing vehicles is dependent on other factors, for example franchise lengths and the exact timing of the electrification programmes. However, approximately 400 existing vehicles are expected to be redeployed in the period from 2015 to 2018.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 16 June 2011, Official Report, columns 85-86WS, on Thameslink rolling stock, whether he has (a) requested or (b) received legal advice since 10 May 2010 on options for changing the terms of the original invitation to tender for the Thameslink contract; and if he will publish any such advice. [R]

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 13 July 2011
	It is in the public interest that the decisions taken by the Secretary of State are taken in a fully informed legal context where relevant. Communications between the Secretary of State and his legal advisers are subject to the legal advice privilege.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he gave consideration to the July 2009 Competition Commission report on the rolling stock leasing market as part of the assessment of bids for the Thameslink rolling stock contract; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Theresa Villiers: The Department was aware of, and considered, the report by the Competition Commission on the rolling stock leasing market when it was published.
	The Competition Commission did not require any alterations to the Thameslink rolling stock procurement process, and none were made as a result of their report.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any part of the process to assess bids for the Thameslink rolling stock contract was sub-contracted to a third party; and if he will list any such sub-contractors. [R]

Theresa Villiers: The assessment of bids was led by the Department for Transport, supported and advised by representatives from Network Rail, First Capital Connect, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer, Interfleet Technology and Arup.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) sections of the procurement document and (b) provisions of EU procurement law prevents a re-appraisal of the existing award of preferred bidder status for the Thameslink rolling stock contract. [R]

Theresa Villiers: The detailed process and criteria for the evaluation of Thameslink bids and the process defining the award of a Preferred Bidder are clearly set out in section 3 of the Thameslink Rolling Stock Project invitation to tender. In particular section 3.3 defines the process that must be used for the selection of the Preferred Bidder. Any re-appraisal of the existing bidder proposals against these criteria will only produce the same outcome. As a matter of procurement law the Department would be open to legal challenge if it now sought to change the evaluation criteria, process or process for identifying the preferred bidder.
	Article 4 of the Utilities Contracts regulations 2006 requires bidders to be treated in a way which is equal, non-discriminatory and transparent. This reflects European treaty principles.
	This article would prevent new requirements being introduced into the evaluation process which discriminate, against a particular bidder.

Thameslink Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 718W, on Thameslink railway line: rolling stock, on what dates officials in his Department met representatives of Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd between 12 May and 16 June 2011; and what the purpose was of such meetings.

Theresa Villiers: DFT officials met representatives of Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd on 12, 17 and 19 May 2011. The meetings discussed business matters between the Department and Bombardier.

Trains: Rolling Stock

Julie Hilling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on plans to deploy rolling stock to train operators in future; and if he will publish the most recent plans.

Theresa Villiers: Work is under way to provide additional rolling stock on many routes around the country. Combined with the IEP, Thameslink and Crossrail projects, our plan is that 2,700 new carriages will be in service by the end of 2019. 349 additional carriages were added to the network during the coalition's first 12 months in office and progress has been made on the procurement process for carriages to be delivered under the IEP, Thameslink and Crossrail programmes.
	The last formal rolling stock plan was prepared by the previous Administration, and published in July 2008. We will be considering Sir Roy McNulty's recommendations on rolling stock but start from the position that the rail industry should be best placed to lead on rolling stock cascade proposals, with the Government's role primarily focused on ensuring that these represent value-for-money.

Trains: Rolling Stock

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he holds on the number of current rolling stock for train carriages.

Theresa Villiers: The information is available from a number of industry publications such as Platform 5 and associated trade magazines. The current passenger rolling stock numbers excluding locomotives is around 11,600 carriages.

West Coast Railway Line: Rolling Stock

Margaret Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2011, Official Report, column 722W, on West Coast Railway line, on what dates he received information from officials in his Department on the status of the procurement for the Intercity Express programme.

Theresa Villiers: Since taking office Ministers have received submissions on the status of the Intercity Express Programme on an ongoing basis.

West Coast Railways Line

John Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include a requirement to modernise railway stations on the West Coast Main Line in the tender which is to begin in 2012.

Theresa Villiers: A new franchising system has been devised to facilitate and encourage private investment, and to deliver benefits for passengers.
	In order to lower unit operating costs, the new franchisee will assume full repair responsibilities for the 17 stations which it manages under a 99 year lease from Network Rail (at present it is split between the operator and Network Rail). Bidders will be expected to consider what appropriate enhancements should be made and how best to improve service quality at these stations.
	A residual value mechanism is being created to account for the long term value of station improvements if these carry on beyond the franchise end date. This could reward operators for investment with a pay back period longer than their franchise term.